The Homestead Protection Act

A Plan to Take Property Taxes Off Your Primary Home — While Fully Funding Local Services

Minnesotans are being squeezed by a property tax system that punishes homeowners even after they’ve paid off their mortgage. My Homestead Protection Act offers a simple, responsible fix: take property taxes off your primary home while keeping schools, counties, and cities fully funded.

This protects families, protects seniors, and protects local services. Without unfunded mandates and without shifting costs onto renters or businesses.

How the Plan Works

The proposal has two major components.

1. The State Takes Over the School Portion of the Property Tax Bill

Today, a large share of your property tax goes directly to your school district. Under this plan:

• Homeowners would pay no school property taxes on their primary home
• Businesses, rentals, cabins, and second homes would continue paying their share
• The state would send schools the funding homeowners currently provide

Schools stay fully funded. Homeowners get real relief.

2. The State Replaces the County and City Portion for Homeowners

Counties and cities rely on property taxes to fund essential services like:

• Police and fire
• Roads and infrastructure
• Libraries and parks
• Local operations and maintenance

Under this plan:

• Homeowners would pay no county or city property taxes on their primary home
• The state would replace the amount homeowners currently pay
• Local governments would keep full control of their budgets

No cuts. No service reductions. No unfunded mandates.

Why This Works

Minnesota already sends significant funding to schools and local governments every year. This plan simply rebalances who pays for what, instead of letting property taxes climb forever.

Think of it like refinancing:

• Homeowners escape a rising, unpredictable bill
• The state takes responsibility in a stable, predictable way
• Schools, counties, and cities continue receiving the funding they need

It’s a structural fix. Not a temporary credit or one‑time rebate.

What Stays the Same

To protect fairness and stability:

• Businesses still pay property taxes
• Rental properties still pay property taxes
• Cabins and second homes still pay property taxes
• Local governments still set their own budgets
• Schools remain fully funded

Nothing gets defunded. Nothing gets shifted onto renters or businesses.

Why This Protects Homeowners

Property taxes are the only bill that can rise even after you’ve paid off your home. They can increase faster than wages, faster than inflation, and far faster than seniors’ fixed incomes.

This plan:

• Makes homeownership more affordable long‑term
• Prevents people from being taxed out of their homes
• Gives families stability and predictability
• Helps first‑time buyers and seniors the most

It’s a permanent solution to a growing problem.

How the Rollout Would Happen

The transition is phased in responsibly:

• First couple years: Slow the growth of property taxes and begin buying down the bill
• Next few years: Remove the school portion of property taxes on primary homes
• Final years: Remove the county and city portions on primary homes

By the end of the rollout, your primary home would have no property tax bill, and local governments would remain fully funded through the state.