DULUTH, MN (Northern News Now) – Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert presented his 2027 budget proposal to the city council Thursday night, an initial look at what could affect residents’ property taxes.
Ahead of the presentation, Reinert shared details in a news release. It shows his proposed 2027 property tax levy at about 3.6 percent, taking into account inflation and new commercial tax base growth.
Reinert said he used five priorities to shape his budget proposal: housing, growing the commercial tax base, investing in streets and utilities, reviving downtown and keeping property taxes affordable.
Reinert acknowledged shaping the budget while keeping things affordable for the city was a challenge.
“We need to acknowledge a couple realities. Number one we had a 7.3 million dollar budget deficit last year that we resolved with an inflation only property tax increase and no layoffs. Number two, we have a 5.5 million dollar deficit this year that we’re looking to tackle with a lot of fiscal prudence,” Reinert said.
The proposal will now be considered by the city council. Councilors have until the end of this month to adopt a maximum property tax levy for 2027. They can debate that number between now and December, when the official city budget for next year must be finalized.
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