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MN Public Tools

Minnesota public records, made usable.

Independent research on Minnesota fraud cases, budgets, property taxes, and ballot questions. Each topic opens with the answer, and the numbers link to the record behind them.

By Dan Swenson. No government funding. About this site

Statewide investigation

Minnesota fraud

I have not found a verified statewide fraud total from any court, auditor, or agency. This section separates allegations, court findings, program spending, restitution, and recovered money, and traces public claims like the $19B figure back to the record.

What the records show →

Latest case developments

  • Oct. 30, 2026
    Said Farah sentenced to 78 months for bribing a juror
  • Oct. 30, 2026
    Justice Department reports 13 defendants charged, convicted, or sentenced in a month
  • Oct. 29, 2026
    State and federal agents search two autism-service providers
  • Oct. 28, 2026
    Salim Said sentenced to 30 years
Full timeline →

November 3 ballot results

Voters decided three questions this site published guides on. The guides explain what each question asked and what was at stake.

QuestionResult
Minnesota school funding amendment
2,068,124 yes (72.58%), 666,637 no (23.40%), 114,696 estimated blanks (4.03%) Minnesota Secretary of State
Approved
Elk River schools referendum
16,807 yes (44.54%), 20,925 no (55.46%), all 34 precincts reporting Minnesota Secretary of State
Not approved
Luverne utility ballot question
673 yes (31.40%), 1,470 no (68.60%), all four precincts reporting Minnesota Secretary of State
Rejected

Unofficial Secretary of State returns checked November 6 at 9:58 a.m. Central. These are a dated snapshot and can change before certification. Local canvassing boards certify city and school district results. The State Canvassing Board meets November 19.

Budgets and local records

City, county, and state money, and meetings searchable down to the original document.

City · Anoka County
Nowthen

Meetings, budgets, property taxes, roads, city equipment, and ordinances.

The proposed 2027 levy is $2,563,197, up 9.9% from the certified 2026 levy.

OverviewMeetingsBudgetTaxesRoadsVehiclesCity code

County
Anoka County

County budget, levy, and audited revenue data.

The county levy is larger than Nowthen’s city levy and is one of the largest parts of a local tax bill.

Open →
Minnesota
Minnesota state budget

Where general-fund money comes from and where it goes.

Minnesota’s general fund expects $67.7 billion in revenue for the two-year budget from July 2025 through June 2027, up $4.6 billion from the prior biennium.

Open →
Signed opinion and analysis

Latest analysis from Dan

All analysis →
Dan's analysisIn Luverne, lower electric rates may not save you money

Cutting the utility transfers moves the cost onto a levy that leans harder on homes. The amendment also reserves a seat for the largest accounts and gives no way out of a deadlock.

September 25, 2026
Dan's analysisWhy Nowthen’s levy is rising, and what the city is paying for

The city is catching up on debt, equipment, roads, and staffing after years of using reserves and delaying costs. These are the numbers behind the increase, including what recent spending bought and where staff found savings.

August 31, 2026
Dan's analysisPart 1 of 2Low taxes, no development, good roads. Pick two.

The survey came back with three loud, shared wishes. Don’t change Nowthen, fix the roads, and don’t raise taxes. You can have any two of those. You cannot have all three. The city’s own budget shows why.

June 27, 2026

I started this as a hobby because I wanted a better way to understand my own city's records. It grew from there. I use public records, data, and AI to work through questions I find interesting, and I publish the sources so you can check the work yourself. Why I built this →