Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The city of Detroit Lakes finalized their 2024 budget and property tax levy on a 7-2 vote Tuesday night following their Truth In Taxation public hearing.
The city will be implementing an 11.22% tax levy increase for next year that is expected to generate more than $812,000 of additional revenue over last year’s budget.
During the hearing, Detroit Lakes Finance Officer Heidi Tumberg told members of the council and the public what the extra tax revenue was going to be used for.
“About $100,000 of that is going toward the fire department,” said Tumberg. “This budget included the first time of the full-time fire chief, so that impacted this budget quite a bit. Another $110,000 went into the equipment funds for increasing costs of equipment. If you look around, if you’ve seen the cost of vehicles, or any type of equipment, all of that has gone up quite significantly. We had to add in another $100,000 to service our new debt on our new public works facility that is being constructed.”
She also said $200,000 of the new tax revenue will be used to offset larger street rehabilitation projects that are part of the city’s capital improvement plan over the next couple years, since the budget committee thought it wiser to incrementally save for future construction costs instead of needing a larger lump sum in a single year.
Tumberg also highlighted increases needed for the city’s general fund.
“In the general fund, we’ve got about a $300,000 increase,” she said. “Much of that is just normal, kind of everyday, things. Wages, equipment, supplies, things like that. $123,000 increase in the police department. $124,000 in streets. $71,000 in snow removal. $51,000 in parks. And then, it’s an election year next year, so we have $23,000 for elections.”
She also pointed out that the city’s tax rate is actually decreasing next year compared to 2023.
Tumberg explained that since property values in the city, on average, have risen by more than the proposed levy increase over the last year, it creates more tax capacity on those properties, and decreases the overall tax rate.
“Even with an increase in the levy of 11.22%, our tax rate is still going down,” said Tumberg. “Because our property values, overall, are going up more than 14.5%. It’s pretty bonkers, if you look at it that way.””
No members of the public made comments during the hearing and councilmembers approved the 2024 budget and tax levy on a 7-2 vote with councilmembers Aaron Dallmann, alderman at-large, and Jay Deraney, alderman at-large, voting against the resolution.
To check out the Detroit Lakes 2024 budget, or the Truth In Taxation presentation, visit the city’s website and click on the finance tab.

2023-24 Detroit Lakes City Council. From the left: Back Row: Aaron Dallmann, Dan Josephson, Mike Stearns, Mayor Matt Brenk, Jackie Buboltz, Jay Deraney. Front Row: Wendy Spry, Ron Zeman, Matt Boeke, Shaun Carlson.

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