Minnehaha Creek WD holds 2027 levy flat as capital spending rises

Minnehaha Creek WD holds 2027 levy flat as capital spending risesThe Minnesota watershed district unanimously adopted a 2027 budget of $15.59 million and certified a $9.87 million tax levy with no increase from the prior year. Capital expenditure is set to rise by nearly $1.4 million despite the flat levy, supporting stormwater, restoration and watershed-planning work.

The board unanimously adopted the $15,590,763 2027 budget and certified a $9,869,513 tax levy with no increase.

Budgeted expenditure will increase 7.5%, led by a capital-budget increase of just under $1.4 million, or 22%.

The district said the flat levy is supported by capital-improvement funds levied in previous years and about $500,000 of secured outside grant funding.

2027 work includes regional stormwater activity in Long Lake, wetland-restoration opportunities in the Turbid-Lunston corridor and flood-reduction planning across the watershed.

The district will hold a public comment period on November 19 as part of its Truth in Taxation process.

Minnehaha Creek Watershed District has approved a $15.59 million budget for 2027 while keeping its property-tax levy unchanged at $9.87 million, despite a planned increase in capital spending for water and watershed projects. The Board of Managers unanimously adopted the $15,590,763 budget and work plan on 10 September, followed by a separate unanimous vote to certify the $9,869,513 levy to Hennepin and Carver counties. The district will hold a public comment period on 19 November as part of the Truth in Taxation process. Total budgeted expenditure will rise 7.5% in 2027. The principal driver is a capital-budget increase of just under $1.4 million, equivalent to 22%, according to staff. Operations and programmes, by contrast, are projected to decline by a net 3.4%. Staff attributed part of the operations change to staff transitions and to moving a campus-improvement project into the capital improvement programme as an accounting change. The district said it can avoid a levy increase by drawing on funds previously levied and held for its capital improvement plan, as well as approximately $500,000 in secured external grant funding. It said outside revenue is included in the budget only when it has been awarded through a grant or secured under contract. The approved work plan continues the district's focus on the 44-square-mile Minnehaha Creek subwatershed and major tributaries upstream of Lake Minnetonka. In the lower watershed, planned work includes completion of the Gateway to Greenway and a Cedar Trail connection. The district also highlighted its Thriving Waters Partnership with the City of Minneapolis and the Park Board. In the Six Mile area, the district identified two near-term projects in the Turbid-Lunston corridor that it said could remove Turbid Lake from the impaired-waters list and create a connected green corridor towards Carver Park Reserve. The district has also begun considering wetland-bank development opportunities in that corridor. Elsewhere, the work plan calls for advancing regional stormwater activity in downtown Long Lake and beginning feasibility work on Shallow Lake restoration. In Painter Creek, the district expects to finish diagnostic work in 2026 before moving into community-based planning with Minnetrista, Independence, Medina and Hopelaine. A major policy component of the 2027 programme is the district's updated Watershed Management Plan. Staff said the plan will establish tailored implementation plans for each subwatershed and use a legislatively funded two-dimensional model to develop an integrated flood-reduction strategy for both the developing upper watershed and the urbanised lower watershed. Staff noted that the district had increased its levy only once over the past seven years, by 2% in total. Board members described maintaining a zero increase while continuing programmes as a significant achievement.