Last week’s public opinion polls confirmed something many of us already knew. Education and taxes are clearly top issues for most Minnesotans today.

That’s why I think it’s more important than ever that our residents understand the relationship between property taxes and school funding. It’s often a very complicated topic – and I know many find it, quite frankly, boring. But because legislators have shifted school funding responsibility away from the state and onto local taxpayers, our residents deserve a clear explanation of the role property taxes play in our schools.

This week, residents will begin to receive a booklet in the mail produced by Mounds View Public Schools. A 10-minute guide to understanding your property taxes and schools was created as an information service to taxpayers, and it answers some of the most frequently asked questions about property taxes and schools. Questions like:

* Am I paying more property taxes today than five years ago?
* Are schools receiving more property taxes today than five years ago?
* Who determines how much I pay?
* Why are property taxes increasingly important for school funding?
* What’s the future of my property taxes paid towards schools?

This booklet also lists resources for residents who would like to seek tax relief through a refund program, and it provides contact information for those seeking more information about taxes.

Every day, our schools diligently educate our students. As educators, I think it’s also our responsibility to educate our residents – especially when it comes to issues that affect their pocketbooks. I hope this new information service we created helps residents better understand the relationship between education and taxes – two issues that are clearly on our minds.