2024 Budget

The City Council recently passed the 2024 preliminary budget and $8.8 million levy. The proposed 8.49% increase represents the Council’s priorities of public safety, meeting payments for debt, constructing and maintaining City assets (roads, buildings, parks and equipment) as well as service to the citizens while keeping taxes low. As in previous years, growth and expanded tax capacity will lessen the impact on homeowners. Even with this increase, we anticipate St. Michael will continue to have the lowest tax rate of any City in Wright County. The biggest challenge to the 2024 Budget is increased staffing costs with additional staff and market rate increases. This includes a 24% increase in the Fire Department Budget for equipment and hiring a new Fire Chief. There is also a 36.7% increase in the Police budget for increased Wright County Sheriff contract hours of service and due to the difficulty hiring and retaining police officers. State Public Safety Aid will be used to phase this increase in.

Where Your City Taxes Go

Areas of Increase

The most significant increases in the budget are:

• Fire Department

• Funding capital equipment purchases (transfers to capital funds)

• Compost Chipping