District Perspectives, Ramsey County Commissioner, District 5

A new analysis of Ramsey County’s fiscal health — recently presented to the County Board — sends a clear message: how we build our communities directly shapes our county’s financial future.

Over the next two months, I will share a two-part series outlining how Ramsey County is thinking about fiscal health and economic development. This first article focuses on what the data tells us about our tax base and why it matters for the future of our county.

The study shows that dense urban development — particularly in downtown St. Paul — generates significantly more tax value per acre than lower-density development. Downtown St. Paul generates about 8.3 times more taxable value than the share of land it occupies in the county. More broadly, the city of St. Paul produces almost twice as much taxable value than its share of land in Ramsey County.

At a time when counties across the country face growing fiscal pressure, the way we use land will determine whether we can sustain the services residents depend on.

As a county commissioner, I see this analysis as a critical foundation for Ramsey County’s next economic development strategy. It helps guide decisions that strengthen our tax base, promote growth and ensure Ramsey County remains financially resilient.

Counties across Minnesota are facing increasing cost pressures as federal and state governments shift more responsibilities to local governments without fully funding them. Ramsey County’s general fund budget totals about $929 million, with property taxes providing roughly 46% of total revenue. That makes the property tax base the single most important source of funding for essential services such as public safety, public health, economic development and social services. Strengthening our tax base is therefore essential if we want to maintain services while keeping property taxes manageable.

At the same time, the study highlights a structural challenge. Across Ramsey County, only about 48% of land is taxable, with the remainder made up of tax-exempt property, public right-of-way and bodies of water. In downtown St. Paul, about one-third of land is tax-exempt due to government buildings, hospitals and nonprofit institutions.

The analysis also shows that not all development produces equal value. Multifamily housing and mixed-use buildings generate some of the highest value per acre, while large commercial sites such as malls or big-box retail often produce less tax value relative to the land they occupy, partly because they are often accompanied by large parking lots.

This fiscal health analysis is just the starting point. Ramsey County now has the data needed to make smarter decisions about economic development and land use.

Next month, I’ll share how Ramsey County plans to turn these insights into action through a new economic development strategy to grow our economy, expand opportunity and strengthen our tax base.