Posted on 08/14/2020 4:53:58 PM PDT by Libloather
Minneapolis officials will no longer require property owners to prepay the second half of their property taxes in order to start removing rubble from sites damaged in the May riots.
Mayor Jacob Frey announced the change Thursday after the Star Tribune reported on the controversy.
Minneapolis property owners have complained that the policy was slowing the recovery and turning piles of debris into safety hazards. The situation is different in St. Paul, which has been issuing demolition permits without requiring the prepayment of the second half of 2020 property taxes, which are due in October.
Frey said the city will begin issuing permits and waiving demolition fees for any properties damaged in the riots irrespective of whether taxes have been paid. The new policy went into effect Thursday.
I recently learned about the predicament and took quick action to fix it, Frey said in an interview. For the sake of our businesses, we need to be removing every last possible barrier to recovery and reopening.
Minneapolis property owners applauded the move, but they also complained about a continued lack of support from city and county officials. They hope that officials will expedite approvals going forward and help them by lowering the assessments on their heavily damaged properties.
It is refreshing to see them doing the right thing, said Steve Krause, owner of Minnehaha Lake Wine & Spirits, which was destroyed in the rioting. But the taxes are outrageous. They are based on improved real estate, and obviously the real estate is no longer improved. It is devastated.
Krause had to pay $17,116 in taxes on his property to get a demolition permit because his building is still valued at $363,400, according to county property records.
(Excerpt) Read more at m.startribune.com ...
You would think that the property taxes on a burned out building would be significantly less than normal.
The rubble is mostly peaceful too.
It is refreshing to see them doing the right thing, said Steve Krause, owner of Minnehaha Lake Wine & Spirits, which was destroyed in the rioting.
Doing the right thing .... hell, they conspired with the rioters .... are you an idiot and are you going to prove it by rebuilding?
Democrat politicians are just a slightly higher class extortionist then the peasant looter.
FTA: $17,116 in taxes on his property to get a demolition permit because his building is still valued at $363,400
That is a very high tax.
Exactly so.
I imagine property values have decreased so tax revenue will decrease. But that is easily fixed. Increase the rate.
The tax remains the same!
Easy. They are democrats. 👎
+1
They just increased property taxes in Nashville, TN by 32%. Nashville already had the highest tax rates in the state. One restaurant owner said he would have to close up because his property taxes would go from $55,000 a year to $72,000 a year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.