Three Rivers Board Will Hold Public Hearing About 2021 Budget

October 29, 2020

The Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing about the 2021 general fund budget and operating levy. The public hearing will be held at 5:30 PM Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. While social distancing measures are in place due to COVID-19, the Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners is meeting remotely in order to best ensure the health of Park District staff and the public.

Board meetings are streamed live via Zoom. If you would like to watch the live video stream of the Nov. 12 Board meeting and public hearing, please email your full name, email address and phone number to BoardComments@threeriversparks.org by 3:30 PM on Thursday, Nov. 12, and a link to the meeting will be sent to you. Please indicate in your email if you would like to address the Board during the public hearing.

If you would like to submit written comments in advance of the public hearing that will be shared with the Board, please email them to BoardComments@threeriversparks.org.

The proposed 2021 General Fund Operating Budget, which funds the day-to-day operations of parks and trails, totals $43,656,330. This amount represents an increase of 1.04 percent over the 2020 budget. 

The largest revenue source for the budget is the property tax levy collected in suburban Hennepin County. The 2021 property tax levy is estimated to be $43,740,957, which is a 2.61 percent increase over the 2020 levy. The property tax levy has two components: an operating levy to fund the budget, and the debt service levy required to fund principal and interest payments due on borrowed funds.  
  
The proposed budget will be available on the Park District’s website on Nov. 9. Copies of the budget will also be available for review at the Three Rivers Park District Administrative Center. The Administrative Center currently is open to the public 8 AM–1 PM Monday through Wednesday due to COVID-19.

Following the public hearing, the Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners will consider adopting the 2021 general fund budget at the regular Board meeting on Nov. 12. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners is expected to review Three Rivers Park District’s general fund budget on Nov. 17, and the Park District Board will consider approval of the final 2021 property tax levy and reaffirmation of the 2021 general fund budget on Dec. 17.