What are the procedures for approving an assessment?
The procedures to approve – or levy – special assessments, nuisance abatements or unpaid city charges include:
Preparing the Proposed Assessment Roll
City staff calculate the proper amount to be assessed against each property and prepare a list (the assessment roll) of all properties to be assessed under the project.
Legislative Hearing
Only nuisance abatement assessments are subject to review – at a property owner’s request – before a legislative hearing officer, which occurs prior to submission to the City Council public hearing.
Notice of the City Council public hearing on the proposed assessment
Notice must appear in a newspaper or publication such as the Legal Ledger. The City must also mail notice to each affected property owner at least two weeks prior to the hearing date.
City Council Public Hearing on the proposed assessment
The hearing gives affected property owners an opportunity to voice their opinions about their proposed assessment. After all testimony is received, the City Council usually closes the public hearing and immediately votes on the assessment. Occasionally, the hearing or the assessment vote is laid over to a future meeting.
Approval of the assessment
After the assessment has been levied by the City Council, city staff mail invoices to the affected property owners. Owners have 30 days to pay the assessment without interest. After 30 days, interest may begin to accrue.
Certification to property taxes
At the end of each calendar year the City is required to “certify” to Ramsey County a calculated amount of principal and interest owed by any property with unpaid city assessments. This amount is placed on the county property tax statement mailed to each property owner the following spring.