East Bethel board approves four assessor-recommended valuation adjustments after residents question increases

The City Council convened as the Board of Appeal and Equalization on April 27 to hear residents’ concerns about the 2026 assessments used for taxes payable in 2027. Anoka County Assessor Alex Guggenberger reviewed the annual reassessment process, state ratio requirements and a citywide residential aggregate increase of about 5.63%, and then took questions from property owners.

Why it matters: The Board of Appeal is the local forum for owners who say their market values or classifications are incorrect. Changes to individual property assessments affect how the tax burden is shared among taxpayers, though they do not change the total dollars levied by the city, county or school district.

Guggenberger told the council that Minnesota requires annual reassessments while physical inspections of every property occur on a five‑year cycle. He said assessors rely on the same set of physical data for each property type and on recent arm’s‑length sales to set values. "If we don't have accurate data, it's not gonna lead as accurate the accurate of values on the back end," he told the board, and offered homeowners an on‑site review if they disagreed with the county's model value.

Several residents voiced frustration. Bud Flagstaff said his assessed market value had risen by about $3,000 and that the reduction in homestead exclusion left him feeling squeezed on a fixed income. "My taxes are going up," Flagstaff said, adding that he was "85 years old" and on a limited income. Guggenberger responded that assessors must base values on neighborhood sales and that the homestead exclusion decreases as market values rise; the assessor reiterated that the board can only address estimated market value, not homestead exclusion amounts.

Bridal Howells, who said she owns multiple city properties and is a real‑estate agent, asked whether the county could show which sales were used as comparables and how lake‑area septic or well issues are handled. Guggenberger said the county posts a residential sales search tool and, for individualized reviews, staff will pull specific comparable sales and photographs and can reduce a value where the data support it. He acknowledged that some lake‑area mapping is incomplete and invited owners to request on‑site inspections.

Jeff Craig, treasurer of the Beaverbrook Sportsman's Club, said one club parcel's taxable market value jumped from $92,500 to $412,800 and that several club parcels had seen classification changes. Guggenberger explained that sportsmen's clubs do not qualify as golf courses for classification purposes and said staff will send open‑space application materials that, if submitted, would restore the appropriate use value and reduce taxable market value.

County staff read a newly entered appellant parcel into the minutes to preserve appeal rights and listed four parcels for which the assessor's office had made changes within the last 10 days. The reads included owners and original and revised estimated market values: Lehi and Sandra Jacks (from $469,500 to $450,000), Torluf Clystad (from $830,400 to $666,200), John King (from $359,600 to $274,400) and Heidi Magerly (from $606,300 to $558,400). A council member moved to approve the county's recommendations, the motion was seconded, and the board voted in favor with no recorded opposition.

The board closed the local hearing and asked staff to follow up with property owners who requested site visits. County staff said owners who want an individual review have until June to request it in order to preserve further appeal options.

Next steps: Property owners wanting a review should contact Anoka County assessor staff to request an on‑site inspection or to receive the comparables and documentation staff will use to evaluate an individual parcel.