News and Information for Residents

The purpose of the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization is to provide a fair and objective forum for property owners to appeal their property valuation or classification.  The local board often serves as the first formal step in the appeals process for taxpayers. 

Prior to the appealing to the Board of Appeal, residents should contact the City Assessor, Mike Smerdon to see if the issue can be resolved with the assessor.  If so, an appeal to the Board would not be necessary. The Local Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting is held each year at City Hall in the month of April.

Taxpayers appealing their property valuation bear the burden of proof and must present factual evidence to convince the Board of Appeal that their property is incorrectly valued or classified. 

If the taxpayer is not satisfied with first contacting the assessor, second appealing to the Board of Appeal, the matter can be further appealed to the County Board of Appeal and Equalization and ultimately the Minnesota Tax Court.

Contact information for Mike Smerdon, City Assessor: 612-596-1362, michael.smerdon@hennepin.us

Property taxes are your share of the total cost of local government. They are used to help fund local programs and services, such as public schools, fire and police protection, streets, libraries, and more.

For a detailed explanation of how property taxes work in Hennepin County, go to www.hennepin.us.

The City's Assessor is Mike Smerdon from the Hennepin County Assessing Office. He can be reached at 612-348-3046 , michael.smerdon@hennepin.us.

Watch an informative video about how property is assessed here https://www.hennepin.us/assessment

Click here to understand the taxation and levy process https://www.hennepin.us/propertytaxes

Department of Revenue resources and information on the property tax refund for homeowners and renters can be found here 

https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/property-tax-refund

Watch Hennepin County's video: "Understanding your property taxes" https://www.hennepin.us/residents/property/property-taxes

Click HERE to watch Property Tax 101 from the Lake Minnetonka Cable Commission.

Click here to register to vote, request absentee ballots and find other election related information: elections-voting

Additional information can be found on the Election Section of the City Website HERE

 After closing and moving in to your new home, you can apply for homestead online, anytime and anywhere. Homestead properties may be eligible to receive a homestead market value exclusion. The deadline to submit a homestead application is December 15. Sign into the Hennepin County online services at hennepin.us/homestead. Complete the application via your computer, smartphone or tablet. Track the status of your application any time. To protect private information, this application uses a secure server and applicant registration with email login and password protection. Information will not be shared with outside parties. Your homestead office will be able to contact you via email if they have any questions. For more information and to apply visit: hennepin.us/homestead. Contact: 612-348-3046 or assessor.ao@hennepin.us.

Residents should become familiar with these invasive species, particularly invasive vegetation such as buckthorn and garlic mustard.  These plants out-compete native plants for nutrients, light and moisture and threaten the future of forests and other natural habitats.

The City of Minnetonka Beach is working to remove this invasive vegetation from public property and encourages residents to eradicate this vegetation on private property as well.