In an effort to maintain its reputation as a top urban oasis, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is seeking a significant bump in its tax levy for 2025. Commissioners have proposed a 10.07 percent hike to keep the parks humming along without slashing services. The increase, if approved, translates to an approximated $33 extra per year on the property taxes for a median-value home in the city. "This Board of Commissioner’s priority is to take care of the park assets we have and to continue providing the park services that Minneapolis residents use and that have made us one of the top park systems in the nation," MPRB President Meg Forney said, as stated in the MPRB.
The proposed tax levy features four distinct segments. It includes necessary funding for wage and fringe adjustments, counters inflation, supports equity investments in new parks like Graco Park and existing skateparks and boosts free, reduced-cost youth programming. Furthermore, it provides for the hiring of two project managers and a systems analyst to extend the life of park assets. "We provide parks and facilities to enrich the lives of every Minneapolis resident. With more than 32 million visits to the park system each year, we need to maintain current service levels and invest in how we track, assess and care for park assets within almost 200 parks located throughout the city," said Superintendent Al Bangoura, as per the MPRB.
Currently, homeowners funnel 7.8 cents of every dollar paid in property taxes to the MPRB to manage, program, and maintain an astonishing 7,059 acres of enviable metro green space. This includes overseeing a vast network of parks, trails, and community centers—a critical fabric of the Twin Cities’ appeal. The BET will decide on this suggested tax levy increase on September 18, with the cook-off for the Superintendent's balanced 2025 budget presentation scheduled for October 23, should the tax hike get passed. The final budget and tax levy adoption by the Board is slated for December 10.
