There will be a truth-in-taxation public hearing in St. Paul at 6 p.m. on Monday where residents can voice their questions or concerns about the 7.9% property tax increase proposed by Mayor Melvin Carter.

In August, Carter proposed a $855 million budget for 2025, but the St. Paul City Council is looking to trim that proposal by $6 million, including a 5% cap on the property tax increase.

Council President Mitra Jalali told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she and her colleagues have heard from citizens about the proposed property tax increase.

“We are in a situation where, you know, council is hearing these property tax increase stress comments all the time,” said Jalali. “We also hear, all the time, that our residents need and want more investment in their neighborhoods. We hear both messages all the time, and so does the mayor.”

Under Mayor Carter’s proposal, the average home would see an $11-a-month increase in property taxes, which he said the city needs to keep moving forward.

“So, my underlying concern is the proposal that I see across from me on the table right now seems unresponsive to many of the most critical needs that people have in our community right now,” said Carter. “The big problem right now is that residential property values are rising while commercial buildings, apartment buildings, industrial sites are all falling at the same time. And, residential property owners are getting stuck in the middle.”