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WALKER - Five county commissioners and seven county employees convened Cass County's annual budget hearing for the public at 6 p.m. Tuesday, but no members of the public braved the freezing rain and ice slicked roads to attend.

Five people had written letters to the county in advance of the hearing. County employees had answered all letters before the meeting.

Some letters questioned the county's appraisal value for their property and were referred to the local boards of review held in March through May each year and the subsequent county level board of equalization meeting held annually in June.

Others questioned why their proposed tax is higher when their property valued dropped. They were advised that as the county's overall property valuation has declined, the tax rate for calculating taxes has had to rise for the county to generate the same dollar levy the last six years.

For 2014, the rate increase is expected to be 2.4 percent countywide, but will vary with individual properties, depending upon whether the property value in the immediate area has risen, fallen or stayed the same, the county response letters to taxpayers explained.

Those letters further explained to taxpayers that the county sets individual property values in January each year for calculating taxes payable the following year. Values for 2014 were set in January 2013. Those values are based on neighboring property sales in 2011 and 2012.

Earlier Tuesday during the commissioners regular board meeting, Chief Financial Officer Larry Wolfe informed the board 39 percent of Cass County's property taxpayers will see a reduction in their 2014 taxes, while 48 percent will see a 10 percent or less rise in taxes and 13 percent will have over 10 percent increase.

The final county budget, which the board is scheduled to adopt at the 9 a.m. regular meeting Dec. 17 at the courthouse in Walker, will include a $351,810 contingency fund to handle unexpected needs during the year.

Wolfe informed the board he expects the county to save $122,364 during 2014, because the Legislature has exempted county governments from paying sales tax on most products it buys. This estimate is based on the county's equipment and supplies purchases in 2013.

Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.

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