Some unraveling needed on county tax story

A story in last week’s Pine Knot, “County explains 3% tax increase,” raised the eyebrows of Carlton County assessor Kyle Holmes.

“Market values are independent from taxes and vice versa,” he said, correcting a passage in the Pine Knot report that suggested the factors were intertwined.

“Rising property values and rising taxes are not intertwined, and should be kept separate,” he said.

Levy increases are a function of spending, he said.

Holmes attended the Dec. 11 Truth in Taxation hearing, at which the county heard from audience members and presented its 3-percent levy increase for 2025.

The P...