Albert Lea City Council to vote on preliminary budget and tax levy

By KAALTV

Albert Lea City Council will meet on Sept. 25 (Credit: Albert Lea Public Library)

(ABC 6 News) – On Sept. 25, Albert Lea City Council will vote on a budget and tax increase for 2024.

The proposed city government budget totals $19.9 million, a 10% increase. The preliminary tax levy would increase to $7.75 million, a 5.5% bump up from 2023.

The increased budget would address rising costs of energy, fuel and services; personnel, a more secure city website, property cleanups and incentives to build homes in Albert Lea.

The city says that the levy increase would apply to individual property owners, equating to about $542.52 per year for a $100,000 dollar home.

According to the city, the local levy makes up about 29% of the revenue in the cities budget. The biggest portion (34.5) of the budget will source from the state through Local Government Aid, offsetting costs and property tax relief.