77-2599 CITY OF HOPKINS
Hennepin County, Minnesota
RESOLUTION NO.77-2599
RESOLUTION REGARDING A SECURE UNIFORM
LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT.
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WHEREAS, the equitable assessment of real property values is absolutely
essential in order that taxes levied by governmental units which transcend
municipal and county boundaries will be fair, and
WHEREAS, studies prepared by the State of Minnesota Department of Revenue
show that there is great disparity among the seven counties in the metropolitan
area, with the 1976 sales assessment ratio study of residential properties show-
ing, for example, that Hennepin County's limited value ratio was 84.4% and its
market value ratio was 96. 3%, while Anoka County's limited value ratio was 89.5%
and its market value ratio was 92.7%, and at the low end were Scott County's
73.9% limited value ratio and Dakota County's 81.5% market value ratio. Individual
municipalities ranged from a low of 60.8% limited value in Watertown, Carver County,
to a high of 94.6% in Edina, Hennepin County, with a low of 66.9% market value in
Watertown to a high of 107.6% in Champlin, Hennepin County, and
WHEREAS, 1973 legislation limited current year assessments for selective
property classes to a 5% increase in the preceding assessment valuation, and a
1975 amendment provided that all property classes were limited to an increase in
11/ valuation for 1975 and subsequent years of 10% of the previous valuation, or 25%
of the difference between the current estimated market value and previous years'
limited market value whichever is greater, and
WHEREAS, the introduction of "limited" market value greatly complicates the
problems of securing equitable assessments, and
WHEREAS, the authority of municipal and county boards of review to make over-
all changes in values is severly limited by statute, and
WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Revenue of the State of Minnesota constitutes
the State Board of Equalization and is empowered to reduce wide disparities in
assessment levels between counties,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Hopkins that
the Commissioner of Revenue of the State of Minnesota be requested to take immediate
action to secure a uniform level of assessment among the seven counties in the
metropolitan area by raising assessment levels in Carver, Scott, Dakota, Ramsey and
Washington Counties, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the attention of the members of the House and
Senate representing Hopkins be called to this entire problem with the request that
they make every effort possible to secure whatever changes are necessary in the
"limited value" statutes so that application of this feature will not hinder the
establishment of a uniform level of assessment, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that cities in Hennepin and Anoka Counties and the
Hennepin and Anoka County Boards and Commissioners be urged to make similar requests
to the Commissioner of Revenue and to their respective legislators.
Passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Hopkins, Minnesota, at a
regular meeting held the 19th day of July 1977.
H. E. RICHARDSON, JERRE A. MILLER,
City Clerk Mayor
JOSPEH C. VESELY,
City Attorney
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_Ali''�`` Cit of
.� y 'E d i n a
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"1.11,101
4801 WEST FIFTIETH STREET • EDINA, MINNESOTA 35424
411 RESOLUTION 927-8861
WHEREAS, the equitable assessment of real property values is absolutely essential
in order that taxes levied by governmental units which transcend municipal and
county boundaries will be fair, and
WHEREAS, studies prepared by the State of Minnesota Department of Revenue show
that there is great disparity among the seven counties in the metropolitan area,
with the 1976 sales assessment ratio study of residential properties showing, for
example, that Hennepin County's limited value ratio was 84.4%, and its market value
ratio was 96.3%, while Anoka County's limited value ratio was 89.5% and its market
value ratio was 92.7%, and at the low end were Scott County's 73.9% limited value
ratio and Dakota County's 81.55. market Jaffe .patio. Individual municipalities
ranged from a. low of 60.8% limited value in Watertown, Carver County, to a high of
94.6% in Edina, Hennepin County, with a low of 66.9% market value in Watertown to
a high of 107.6% in Champlin, Hennepin County, and
WHEREAS, 1.973 legislation limited current year assessments for selective property
classes to a 5% increase in the preceding assessment valuation, and a 1975 amend-
ment provided that all property classes were limited to an increase in valuation
• for 1975 and subsequent years of 10% of the previous valuation, or 25% of the
difference between the current estimated market value and previous years` limited
market value whichever is greater, and
WHEREAS, the introduction of "limited" market value greatly complicates the problems
of securing equitable assessments, and
WHEREAS, the authority of municipal and county boards of review to make overall
changes in values is severely limited by statute, and
WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Revenue of the State of Minnesota constitutes the State
Board of Equalization and is empowered to reduce wide disparities in assessment
levels between counties, •
1: r , THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of tir City of Edina that the
Commissioner. of Revenue of the State of Minnesota be requested to take immediate
action to secure a uniform level of assessment among the seven counties in the
metropolitan area by raising assessment levels in Carver, Scott, Dakota, Ramsey •
and Washington Counties, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the attention of the members of the House and Senate
411/ representingaa be called to this entire problem with the request that they make
every effort possible to secure whatever changes are necessary in the "limited
value" statutes so that application of this feature will not hinder the establish-
ment of a uniform level of assessment, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ci ties in Hennepin and Anoka Counties and the Hennepin
and Anoka County .Boards of Ccmmissioners be urged to make similar requests to the
Commissioner of Revenue and to their respective legislators.
,. .��_ •C t,► of 'E din a
1�
4801 WEST FIFTIETH STREET • EDINA, MINNESOTA 55424
July 13, 1977 927-8861
Gentlemen:
Chapter III - Assessment Inequities
For your information and immediate action, I am enclosing the following:
1) A copy of a, Resolution. passed by the Edina City Council on July 1.1 which
requests the support of the cities and county boards in Hennepin and
Anoka counties in requesting the Commissioner of Revenue to take immediate
steps to secure equitable assessments in the seven county area and to
re ct the legislators to tape remedial action concerning the limited
Yom_.. _ � legislators..�
value requirements.
2) A statistical table showing the trend in assessment/sales ratios for
1974, 1975 and 1976.
3) A statistical table showing the trend in the coefficient of dispersion
for the seven metro area counties dating back to 1956.
• I think you will agree after studying the enclosuees that a great deal of attention.
needs to he paid to this very significant factor in our property tax system.
I hope your council will pass a similar resolution and that you will send it on to
the county commissioners and legislators as well as Commissioner Roeser.
After reviewing the 1974 and 1975 studies of the Department of Revenue, it became
apparent that Anoka should be included with Hennepin as having attempted to follow
the law much more closely than the other five counties and I therefore expanded
the mailing to include the principal cities in Anoka County.
I would appreciate your 1tting me know your reactions.
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Warren C. _ eI
City Manager J
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encs
. cc: Same letter to these municipalities:
Bloomington Golden Valley Richfield
Brooklyn Center Hopkins St. Louis Park
Brooklyn Park Maple Grove Wayzata
Champlin Minnetonka Anoka
Crystal Mound Blaine
Eden Prairie New Hope Circle Pines
Excelsior Plymouth Columbia Heights
Coon Rapids
Fridley
AGGREGATE SALES-ASSESSMENT RATIO
INDICATED MARKET VALUE
41/
1974 1975 1976
Res. Res.
County Aggregate Indicated
Wide Ratio Mkt Lmtd Mkt Lmtd Mkt
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ANOKA 88.0* 88.0** 88.9*** 88.9 93.2 89.5 92.7
CARVER 77.2* 79.0** 78.8*** 81.5 90.9 75.8 81.9
DAKOTA 79.3* 80.7** 80.9*** 81.8 85.8 80.2 81.5
HENNEPIN 88.1* 88.3** 89.3*** 89.6 96.2 84.4 96.3
RAMSEY 72.8* 72.7** 74.4*** 74.4 86.1 74.7 86.7
SCOTT 74.1* 75.2** 73.9*** 74.7 91.4 73.9 88.6
• WASHINGTON 74.5* 76.3** 76.4*** 78.6 83.2 77.9 86.2
EDINA 92.1* 92.1** 93.8*** 93.8 97.7 94.6 97.1
HOPKINS - 88.8 - 88.9 97.5 88.9 98.3
STATE - - 80.9(p 114) - - - -
* Table 1 - 1974 Ratio Study, Department of Revenue
** Table 2 - 1974 Ratio Study, Department of Revenue
*** Table 1 - 1975 Ratio Study, Department of Revenue
**** Table 2 - 1975 Ratio STudy, Department of Revenue
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*ASSESSMENT UNIFORMITY
IIICOEFFICIENT OF DISPERSION •
1956 1968 1970 1972 1973 1974 1975
ANOKA - Residential 8 9.4 11.6 9.1 9.5 ' 9.7 9.7
CARVER - Residential 21 16.6 16.6 13.4 15.8 15.2 12.6
DAKOTA - Residential 15 10.7 12.5 10.9 11.6 11.5 11.8
HENNEPIN - Residential 9 10.1 11.2 9.6 10.0 10.8 10.8
RAMSEY - Residential 9 16.8 14.0 13.2 13.2 13.3 13.6
SCOTT - Residential 14 17.1 15.6 14.9 15.5 16.6 15.3
WASHINGTON - Residential 20 13.3 15.3 13.7 13.7 14.2 11.6
• Excellent - 1.0 - 9.9
Reasonable - 10.0 - 19.9
Questionable - 20.0 - 29.9
Unacceptable - 30.0 & Over
* p. 201 1975 Ratio Study, Department of Revenue