Board hears Truth in Taxation; approves final levy after recount certification

The Anoka‑Hennepin Public School District board received the required Truth in Taxation presentation Dec. 8 and later certified the district's final tax levy for taxes payable in 2026.

Chief Financial Officer Michelle Vargas explained state funding formulas, pupil‑unit calculations and how those factors drive local levy amounts. "Our 2026 tax levy is a decrease of $2,700,000, or 1.97%," Vargas said, attributing the change largely to lower adjusted pupil units and previous year adjustments in state aid and equalization.

Vargas reviewed the district's budget figures: total adopted revenues of about $750 million and total expenditures approximately $780 million for the current budget cycle, with a general‑fund focus on salaries and benefits that make up roughly 77–80% of expenditures.

During the meeting the board also certified the results of a hand recount in Election District 6; Anoka County elections manager Thomas Hunt told the board the recount produced no change to the certified outcome. The board adopted the canvass resolution by roll call before moving on to the tax levy certification.

In a separate vote, the board approved the final tax certification for taxes payable in 2026 in the amount presented in Appendix C‑1 — $135,566,609.36 — by a 6–0 roll call vote.

Why it matters: The levy certification sets the district's property‑tax obligation for the fiscal year and determines how local tax burdens interact with state aid, voter‑approved referendums and bond/debt service assessments.

Ending: After public testimony during the hearing and board questions, members voted to adopt the final levy and move forward with budget implementation steps that will be processed by the county auditor for collection and distribution.