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Crow Wing County adopts preliminary 2026 levy of $50.84 million
Summary
The Crow Wing County Board adopted a preliminary property tax levy of $50,839,879 for 2026 (a 6.49% levy increase) after presentations by county finance staff and debate over the HRA levy. The resolution passed by voice vote; the dollar impact on individual taxpayers will be calculated in December when values are certified.
The Crow Wing County Board on Sept. 23 approved a preliminary property tax levy of $50,839,879 for tax year 2026, a 6.49% increase from the prior levy, the board heard. Nancy, the county finance presenter, said the figure reflects four rounds of budget adjustments from a July starting point of $53.1 million.
Nancy told the board the levy is part of a newly adopted five‑year operational budgeting approach (2026–2030) intended to smooth peaks and valleys in future budgets. She said the proposed levy and accompanying revenue changes would increase overall county revenues by about $6.8 million (6.25%) and that property taxes account for roughly 43% of total revenues.
The presentation broke down major revenue and expenditure drivers: intergovernmental revenues are projected to rise by about $3.5 million (largely for highway and state/federal grants), personnel services are budgeted at $62.7 million (a $4.5 million / 7.73% increase), and total expenditures were presented at $121.5 million (an $12.3 million / 11.31% increase).
Chair Barrows and other commissioners emphasized that a levy percentage change is not the same as a taxpayer's rate change. "A levy is how big the pie is," the administrator explained; the precise tax impact on individual property owners will be known after tax capacities and market values are certified later in the year.
After questions and discussion, Commissioner Franzen moved to approve the preliminary levy resolution as presented; Commissioner Coring seconded. The motion passed by voice vote. The preliminary levy will be finalized after later state and county valuation calculations and subject to subsequent formal actions.
The resolution approved by the board also included levies for the county’s unorganized territory assessment districts and the Crow Wing County HRA levy at the amounts in the packet; a separate amendment to increase the HRA levy failed earlier in the meeting.
