Sponsor: County Assessor's Office
Title
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Amendment to Administrative Code - Chapter 4, Ramsey County Abatement Policy
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the amendments to the Administrative Code, Chapter 4.57.40, Delegation of Authority Policy.
2. Direct the Chief Clerk to the Ramsey County Board to amend the Administrative Code to reflect the approved amendments.
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Background and Rationale
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The Ramsey County Assessor’s department estimates market value and determines property classification, striving to provide an accurate and equitable property assessment. Standards are established to ensure that Ramsey County property owners are provided easy access to the abatement process. Staff who administer abatements follow the strict guidelines described in statute and county administrative code. These staff are available to serve customers by request and can describe the abatement process when providing various appraisal related services. Abatements correcting value and/or classification attempt to ensure that owners are not paying higher taxes than a property is worth, and as a result, reduces the financial burden.
The Blue-Ribbon Abatement Committee met in 2024 to review the existing abatement policy. The committee meets every 5 years. The 2024 committee of twelve members consists of various Ramsey County representatives, including the Ramsey County Assessor and Ramsey County Auditor, one community member and one outside assessment professional. The Ramsey County Abatement Policy is embedded in the following sections of the Ramsey County Administrative Code: 4.57.40 (Delegation of Authority), 4.57.50 (Reporting Requirements) and 4.57.70 (Standards for Review of Abatement Applications).
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☐ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Language, racial or cultural issues can create barriers to access and/or to understand the abatement process. The department has allowed for property reviews to be completed by phone or email if all the necessary supportive information is provided by mail or electronically when requested. This allows for more flexibility in the service delivery for property owners who are unable to be present at their property during working hours, thus resulting in a more accurate assessment and less abatements due to potential errors. Information regarding abatements can be found on Ramsey County’s website, which can be viewed in multiple languages. The County Assessor’s department also has bilingual staff who are available to assist with questions or concerns from Hmong and Spanish speaking customers.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Community participation is involved in the review of the Ramsey County Abatement Policy through the Blue-Ribbon Committee meetings. In 2024, the committee met and discussed the policy language to ensure that the policy is fair and remains in compliance with Minnesota statutes.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Abatements result in a reduction in property tax revenue for Ramsey County and other taxing authorities.
Last Previous Action
On December 17, 2019, the Ramsey County Board approved a policy establishing the delegation of authority to the County Auditor/Treasurer of abatements less than $10,000 (Resolution B2019-301).
Attachments
1. Administrative Code Chapter 4.57.40_Clean Version with Revisions Incorporated
2. Administrative Code Chapter 4.57.40_Revisions Shown in Blackline Markup