Three Rivers Board Will Hold Public Hearing About 2023 Budget

The Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing about the 2023 general fund budget and operating levy. The public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, November 10, 2022, at the Three Rivers Park District Administrative Center, 3000 Xenium Lane N., Plymouth. The public is invited to attend the hearing and provide comments about the property tax levy and budget. Written comments also may be shared via LetsTalkThreeRivers.org; comments received by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 9, 2022, will be shared with the Board at the meeting.

The proposed 2023 general fund operating budget, which funds the day-to-day operations of Three Rivers Park District, totals $48,725,797, an increase of $2,691,593 over the 2022 budget. The Park District’s largest revenue stream to fund the operating budget comes from the property tax levied against all property in suburban Hennepin County. Other revenue streams that help fund the operating budget include activity use fees and grants.

The Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners has a long-standing commitment to keeping property tax levies low. Three Rivers Park District’s total tax levy has only increased by a combined total of 12.89% over the past decade, at a time when operations have expanded considerably to accommodate significant service growth. 

For 2023, the proposed total tax levy is $47.66 million, which represents a 4.8 percent increase over the 2022 levy. For a home valued at $403,000 (the median residential value in suburban Hennepin County) this equates to a $4.14 annual increase in property taxes.

The 2023 general fund operating budget focuses on these goals and priorities for the Three Rivers system in the coming year.

•    Continue to provide high quality facilities, programs and recreational opportunities.
•    Continue to manage natural resources, be a leader in and educate the public on natural resource management issues.
•    Continue to provide services to Park District users both within existing park locations and in communities of suburban Hennepin County.
•    Position the Park District to meet the challenges and unknowns associated with current economic conditions.

View the proposed budget. Copies of the budget also are available for review at the Three Rivers Park District Administrative Center.

Following the public hearing, the Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners will consider adopting the 2023 general fund budget at the Board meeting on November 10. Upon approval by the Three Rivers Board, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners will review Three Rivers Park District’s general fund budget at a meeting in November. The Three Rivers Park District Board will then consider approval of the final 2023 property tax levy and reaffirmation of the 2023 general fund budget at its meeting on December 15.