Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

Property Taxes Will Skyrocket Due To Unfunded Mandates

As a resident living on the border of Todd and Wadena counties, I am deeply concerned about the severe financial burden our communities will soon face due to the MAAFPA Act, passed in 2024.

While Hennepin and Ramsey counties received $5 million for a pilot program in 2025, rural counties like Wadena and Todd must shoulder the cost alone.

In 2026, ALL counties—including ours—must implement the program without additional state funding.

For Wadena County alone, that means a staggering $1.6 million budget increase, forcing local officials to RAISE PROPERTY TAXES by an estimated 25% in 2026 and 45% over the next three years.

Since counties have no other way to generate revenue but to raise property taxes, families, farmers, and small business owners will bear the full burden.

On May 8, ten Minnesota Representatives spoke at the Stop the Mandates Rally, warning that time is running out to stop these reckless policies. The legislative session ends May 19, but a special session is likely. We must act now—if lawmakers don’t hear from us, it may be too late to demand change.

A Statewide Work Group is now assessing the financial impact of implementing the mandate across Minnesota. By January 1, 2026, it will submit findings to the legislature, including recommendations for statutory or policy changes. But waiting for that report will be too late. We must demand action now to prevent these devastating unfunded mandates from crippling our communities.

Make your voice heard before the session closes! Contact our legislators TODAY:

House Representatives: house.mn.gov/members/list

Senators:senate.mn/members?id=alphabetical

We cannot afford to stay silent.

Lori Bates

Concerned Citizen

Staples