Last week, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted to increase tax levies by 6% in 2023 in a bid to improve safety and security, care for park assets and continue investment. in youth programs.

The total levy claim is $79,025,000, according to a Park Board document. The Board of Estimate and Taxation has yet to approve the levy amount.

Last year, the Park Board requested a 7.75% increase over the 2021 tax. Previously, the average property tax increase over the decade had been 4.5%.

Here’s what we know about the latest proposal:

What does this mean for my property taxes?

If approved, the Park Board increase will result in a 1.1% increase in city property taxes — or about $18 for owners of an average Minneapolis home valued at $316,000.

What new initiatives would the levy fund?

Two new expenditures are included in the 2023 request. The first would put $389,000 to ensure that parks and facilities, including three new downtown parks that came online last year – Commons Park, Waterworks and North Loop – are staffed equitably relative to existing parks. Specifically, it would fund two new park police officers and the conversion of some part-time park officer hours to two full-time park patrol officer positions, said Minneapolis spokesperson Robin Smothers. Park and Recreation Board.

A second component of the request is for $443,000 to maintain the park assets, which includes the hiring of two project managers and a system analyst.

How much of the fee is used to maintain current services?

The application will also maintain existing service levels at the parks at a cost of $78,193,000, or $576,000 more than previously expected due to lower state aid.

Some $260,000 of the $78.2 million would go towards an annual investment in youth programs that began in 2022 and will continue for five years.

Last year, the commissioners advocated for increased programming for young people – including spaces called “Spark’d Studios” to promote careers in art, music and technology and expand hiring for a paid job training program – in light of high crime across the city. Funding would also go toward intergenerational programming and nature-based programming, Smothers said.

And the city budget?

Minneapolis elected officials will negotiate their own budget with a separate tax levy. Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to deliver a budget speech in mid-August outlining his financial priorities. City council members will have the opportunity to propose their own amendments, and together they will often finalize the budget in December.

As is the case with the Park Board, the Board of Estimate & Taxation will determine the maximum tax levy, and city leaders will have to work within those limits. Frey, Council Chair Andrea Jenkins and Council Budget Chair Emily Koski serve on the Board of Directors, together making up half of its members.

How much of every Minneapolis property tax dollar goes to the Park Board?

About 7.6 cents of every property tax dollar paid by Minneapolis homeowners currently goes to the Park Board.

Minneapolis’ park system includes 180 properties totaling 6,817 acres.

Writer Liz Navratil contributed to this story.