# MN Public Tools, full guide

> MN Public Tools is independent public-records research on Minnesota local and state government by Dan Swenson, an attorney who serves on the Nowthen City Council. It covers Nowthen city records, Anoka County, ballot questions, the state budget, and Minnesota fraud cases. Every material claim links to a primary source. Figures are labeled "Source checked" (a person checked it against the source), "Official data" (taken directly from a named government source or an official PDF table without AI), or "AI-extracted" (check the source). Dan's signed analysis is labeled as analysis or opinion. Method at https://www.mnpublictools.com/about/method.

This file expands https://www.mnpublictools.com/llms.txt. Every figure below is published on the linked page with the same source. Last updated 2026-10-11.

## Local records

### Nowthen

https://www.mnpublictools.com/nowthen

City · Anoka County. Meetings, budgets, property taxes, roads, city equipment, and ordinances.

- Nowthen's certified property-tax levy for taxes payable in 2026 is $2,332,787, and the city tax rate is 23.69202% of local tax capacity (Anoka County payable 2026 city and town tax-rate table, listed at https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/sources).
- Of the payable 2026 levy, $439,177 is for debt service and $1,893,610 for operations (levy history table, November 26, 2025 Nowthen council packet, cited at https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes).

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/nowthen.

### Anoka County

https://www.mnpublictools.com/county

County. County budget and levy data, plus comparisons among the county’s cities.

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/county.

## Ballot guides

### Minnesota school funding amendment

https://www.mnpublictools.com/school-funding-amendment

Statewide ballot question · Nov. 3, 2026. Amendment 1 would raise what the permanent school fund pays every district each year. The ballot language, the 4.5% payout, and the dollars.

- Laws 2026, chapter 114 (H.F. 3900), permanent school fund constitutional amendment. Section 1 is the amendment text. Section 2 sets the ballot question and its title. Sections 3 to 5 set the 4.5 percent payout in Minn. Stat. § 11A.16. Section 6 makes those sections depend on the vote. Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2026/0/114/

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/school-funding-amendment.

### Elk River schools referendum

https://www.mnpublictools.com/elk-river-schools

Ballot question · Nov. 3, 2026. ISD 728’s Nov. 3 referendum. $350 million in bonds, a ten-year capital levy, tax impacts, and the projects.

- The ballot title is School District Question 1, Approval of Bond Issue and Capital Project Levy Authorization. The ballot question reads "Shall the issuance of the general obligation school building bonds and the capital project levy authorization proposed by the school board of Independent School District No. 728 be approved?"
- The full ballot text reads "The school board of Independent School District No. 728 (Elk River Area Schools) has proposed a project for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction and equipping of a new high school and early childhood through middle school building in Otsego, Minnesota; the construction and equipping of an education center to serve alternative high school learners and children with disabilities; the construction of safety improvements and secure entrances at school sites and facilities, including at the Zimmerman Middle/High School and Rogers Middle School; the construction and equipping of a classroom addition at the Hassan Elementary School; remodeling and updates to the career and technical education (CTE) spaces in Zimmerman, Elk River and Rogers; repair and renovation projects at school sites and facilities; the acquisition, installation, replacement, support and maintenance of software, educational software, software licenses, computers, improved technology equipment, networks, infrastructure, the costs of technology related personnel and training; the acquisition of curriculum, textbooks and materials; utility services costs and other capital revenue purposes. To provide funds for a portion of the project costs, the school board has proposed to issue general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $350,000,000. To provide funds for the remaining portion of the project costs, the school board has proposed a capital project levy authorization in the amount of 5.579% times the net tax capacity of the school district. The proposed capital project levy will raise approximately $9,000,000 for taxes payable in 2027, the first year it is to be levied, and would be authorized for ten (10) years. The estimated total cost of the projects to be funded by the capital project levy authorization is approximately $90,000,000. The projects to be funded have received a positive review and comment from the Commissioner of Education." (ISD 728 School Board, "Resolution Calling a Special Election to Authorize the Issuance of School Building Bonds and to Approve a Capital Project Levy Authorization," https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D9vxivjHx2gw5agXJm5SaDohvzSUWmwI/view)

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/elk-river-schools.

### Luverne utility ballot question

https://www.mnpublictools.com/luverne

Ballot question · Nov. 3, 2026. What changes, how the utility supports the city, rates, arguments, and the ballot language.

- Luverne's electric utility transferred $624,330 to other city funds in 2024 (2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (audited), City of Luverne, page 51, https://cityofluverne.org/Documents/Government/Finance%20&%20Data%20Processing/Financial%20Statements/2024%20FINAL%20Annual%20Comprehensive%20Financial%20Report.pdf) and $261,675 in 2025 (2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (audited), City of Luverne, page 49, https://cityofluverne.org/Documents/Government/Finance%20&%20Data%20Processing/Financial%20Statements/2025%20Annual%20Comprehensive%20Financial%20Report.pdf).

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/luverne.

## Statewide

### Minnesota state budget

https://www.mnpublictools.com/state-budget

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

- Minnesota general fund revenues for the FY 2026-27 biennium are forecast at $67.5 billion and spending at $70.2 billion. Source: Minnesota Management and Budget, "February 2026 Forecast, General Fund FBA Financial Summaries," 2026-02-27, https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/budget/operating-budget/forecast/feb-2026/feb26-fba-financial-summaries.pdf
- The projected budgetary balance at the end of FY 2027 is $3.7 billion, with $3.8 billion more held in the budget reserve and cash flow account. Source: Minnesota Management and Budget, "February 2026 Forecast, General Fund FBA Financial Summaries," 2026-02-27, https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/budget/operating-budget/forecast/feb-2026/feb26-fba-financial-summaries.pdf
- Minnesota Management and Budget's forecast summary says "Spending growth outpaces revenue growth through projections for FY 2029. The projected general fund balance for the FY 2028-29 biennium is now $377 million, however a significant structural imbalance remains." Source: Minnesota Management and Budget, "February 2026 Budget and Economic Forecast," 2026-02-27, https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/000/az/forecast/2026/budget-and-economic-forecast/february.pdf

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/state-budget.

### Minnesota fraud

https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud

Minnesota. Cases, dollar figures, oversight, and public claims traced to the underlying record.

- Featured figures, each with what it measures and its source. Data checked as of 2026-10-11.
- The number from the 2026 State of the Union. $19B: Claimed in the 2026 State of the Union address. Type: Public claim. Covers: No time period stated. Source (primary): Compilation of Presidential Documents, Office of the Federal Register, “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union (DCPD-202600136),” February 24, 2026, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202600136/html/DCPD-202600136.htm Via MN Public Tools, mnpublictools.com/fraud/figure/trump-claim-19b (checked October 11, 2026).
- A prosecutor’s “at least half” remark. at least $9B: Prosecutor’s estimate of at least half of $18 billion. Type: Spoken estimate. Covers: Billed 2018 through 2025. Source (characterization): MPR News, “Fact-checking Minnesota mentions in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech,” February 25, 2026, https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/02/25/fact-checking-minnesota-mentions-in-president-donald-trumps-state-of-the-union-speech Via MN Public Tools, mnpublictools.com/fraud/figure/thompson-9b-estimate (checked October 11, 2026).
- The size of the Feeding Our Future scheme (also heard as $300 million or $400 million). more than $250M: Feeding Our Future scheme as described when the first defendants were charged. Type: Alleged amount. Covers: 2020 through January 2022, as described at the September 2022 indictments. Source (primary): FBI, “Dozens Charged in $250 Million COVID Fraud Scheme,” September 21, 2022, https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/dozens-charged-in-250-million-covid-fraud-scheme-092122 Via MN Public Tools, mnpublictools.com/fraud/figure/fof-alleged-250m (checked October 11, 2026).
- The loss a judge held Aimee Bock responsible for. $242M: Feeding Our Future loss attributed at sentencing. Type: Court-attributed loss. Covers: April 2020 through January 2022. Source (secondary): Minnesota Reformer, “Feeding Our Future ‘mastermind’ sentenced to over 41 years in prison,” May 21, 2026, https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/05/21/feeding-our-future-mastermind-sentenced-to-over-41-years-in-prison/ Via MN Public Tools, mnpublictools.com/fraud/figure/fof-attributed-242m (checked October 11, 2026).
- What the lead prosecutor said had been seized in Feeding Our Future (December 2025). $60M–$70M: Feeding Our Future money seized so far, per the lead prosecutor (December 2025). Type: Assets seized. Covers: As of December 2025. Source (secondary): Associated Press, “Minnesota fraud schemes leave lots of unanswered questions,” December 19, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-fraud-feeding-our-future-medicaid-9911799c0d0149a64a042abed095be57 Via MN Public Tools, mnpublictools.com/fraud/figure/fof-recovered-60-70m (checked October 11, 2026).
- Medicaid money the federal government is holding back. $259.5M: Federal Medicaid match deferred by CMS for one quarter. Type: Payment deferred. Covers: Federal fiscal year 2025, fourth quarter (July through September 2025), announced February 25, 2026. Source (primary): CMS, “Trump Administration Prioritizes Affordability, Announcing Major Crackdown on Health Care Fraud,” February 25, 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-prioritizes-affordability-announcing-major-crackdown-health-care-fraud Via MN Public Tools, mnpublictools.com/fraud/figure/cms-deferral-259m (checked October 11, 2026).

Markdown version at https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/fraud.

## Nowthen records and tools

- [Search Nowthen records](https://www.mnpublictools.com/search): Ask a question and get a source-cited answer from Nowthen meetings, packets, and minutes, or run an exact keyword search.
- [Nowthen meetings](https://www.mnpublictools.com/meetings): Nowthen, Minnesota city council and commission meetings on file, with the agendas, packets, and minutes behind each one.
- [Nowthen city budget](https://www.mnpublictools.com/money): Where Nowthen’s money comes from and what it pays for, year by year, with each budget line linked to the votes, claims, and budget pages behind it.
- [Nowthen 2025 payments, bids, and contracts ledger](https://www.mnpublictools.com/money/ledger): Every 2025 payment, bid, and contract in the Nowthen meeting record, grouped by what it bought, the equipment or street it touched, and the vote behind it.
- [Nowthen property tax, explained](https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes): See what the average Nowthen home pays, who gets each part of the bill, how the city share compares with the budget, and how the city tax rate is set.
- [Nowthen property tax calculators](https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/tools): Three experiments on Nowthen’s 2026 budget. Grow the tax base, raise the levy, or cut it, and see the effect on the city rate and the average home.
- [Nowthen roads, history and funding](https://www.mnpublictools.com/roads): Every Nowthen road with its engineer pavement rating, what each Anoka County city spends on streets, and what it costs to keep roads from failing.
- [Nowthen city vehicles and equipment](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet): Every big machine Nowthen owns, what the records show about it, and what may need replacing, with its paper trail one click away.
- [Fleet Funder](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet/funder): Compare ways Nowthen could pay to replace its equipment, from cash to bonds, against a pre-funding benchmark. Every lifespan and price is editable.
- [Nowthen city code](https://www.mnpublictools.com/code): Nowthen’s city code by chapter and section, plus the ordinances the council has adopted, each linked to its source document.
- [When council votes split](https://www.mnpublictools.com/alignment): Most council votes are unanimous. This page leads with the motions where Nowthen council members disagreed, with the source record behind each one.

## Minnesota fraud records

- [Minnesota fraud numbers](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/numbers): The major Minnesota fraud dollar figures, from restitution to the $19 billion claim, with what each measures, who stated it, when, and the source.
- [The $19 billion claim, checked](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/claim-check): The $19 billion figure from the 2026 State of the Union, checked against court records, audits, and agency reports, and how the number developed.
- [Fraud cases](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/cases): Selected defendants in the Minnesota benefit and Medicaid fraud cases, with charges, pleas, verdicts, sentences, appeals, dockets, and court dates.
- [Fraud timeline](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/timeline): A sourced timeline of Minnesota benefit and Medicaid fraud milestones from 2020 to 2026, from program launches and charges to verdicts and audits.
- [Fraud sources](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/sources): Where every number in the fraud section comes from, with every source cited, how each figure is labeled, and how to request a correction.

## Signed analysis by Dan Swenson

### In Luverne, lower electric rates may not save you money

https://www.mnpublictools.com/luverne/analysis

Luverne · Analysis from Dan. Dan Swenson, published September 25, 2026, updated October 12, 2026. About 8 minutes.

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.

### Why Nowthen’s levy is rising, and what the city is paying for

https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/city-spending-and-taxes

Nowthen budget · Analysis from Dan. Dan Swenson, published August 31, 2026, updated October 12, 2026. About 22 minutes.

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.

### Low taxes, no development, good roads. Pick two.

https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/pick-two-of-three

After the resident survey. Dan Swenson, published June 27, 2026, updated October 12, 2026. About 7 minutes.

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.

### What saying no to development actually costs

https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/the-cost-of-saying-no

After the resident survey. Dan Swenson, published June 27, 2026, updated October 12, 2026. About 12 minutes.

This is the math behind the idea you’ve heard, that development “grows the tax base.” It covers how the city tax rate is set, why even a lot of new residential development may not move the needle on the rate even with an expanded tax base, and what it costs every home in Nowthen to keep the city undeveloped, worked through a real commercial project proposed in recent Nowthen history.

### Why I voted to buy a new plow truck

https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet/new-plow-truck

Opinion from Dan. Dan Swenson, published June 20, 2026, updated October 12, 2026. About 7 minutes.

The council voted 3 to 2 to order a new tandem dump truck and plow instead of rebuilding the city’s 26-year-old Sterling. Here are the real numbers, why a used truck was not the cheap shortcut it sounds like, and why salt, not mileage, retires a plow truck.

## Corrections log

Every factual correction made after publication, newest first. Also at https://www.mnpublictools.com/changes.

- 2026-10-13, The 2023 Mack cost $344,679, not $142,665. The vehicles page showed $142,665.16 as the purchase price of the 2023 Mack plow truck. That figure was the cab-and-chassis quote. The completed truck cost $344,679 in 2024. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet/assets/pw03)
- 2026-10-13, Fleet Funder explanations matched to the current math. Notes on the plow truck example still described an older version. They said the bars used the consultant’s $86,400 interest figure, that bond fees were left out of the as-paid figures, and that saving wins only when the fund keeps up with inflation. The example uses the truck’s price 20 years out with fees included, and saving costs less down to a fund rate of about 2 percent. The whole-fleet comparison is now labeled a full-cycle benchmark, not money the city can save by changing course in 2027. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet/funder)
- 2026-10-13, Budget page levy increase now uses the certified levy. The budget page measured the proposed 2027 levy increase from the budget book’s 2026 levy and showed $230,408. It now measures from the certified 2026 levy shown beside it, an increase of $230,410, the same basis the articles use. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/money)
- 2026-10-13, Cut calculator debt row relabeled. The cut calculator called the $439,177 debt levy fixed and said changing it would mean defaulting on bonds. It is the debt levy, held constant in this model, not the $488,413 the city pays on its bonds. Other ways of paying that debt are outside the calculator. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/tools/cut)
- 2026-10-13, School market-value levies described correctly. The tax sources page said school levies on market value included debt levies. School bond levies are charged on tax capacity. The market-value part of a school bill is mainly the operating referendum. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/sources)
- 2026-10-13, Luverne rate increase total. The rates page said the committee’s “about 18% over three years” fits a 6 percent a year path. Three 6 percent increases compound to about 19.1 percent. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/luverne/rates)
- 2026-10-13, Road borrowing and city debt. The roads page said a city with debt payments and few special assessments tends to borrow for roads. Debt payments cover every city bond, so they do not show how much a city borrowed for roads. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/roads)
- 2026-10-13, Meeting pages said minutes were not posted. Meeting pages said minutes were “not posted” when this archive simply did not have them yet. They now say the minutes are not in this archive as of a date. Draft minutes often appear first in a later meeting’s packet. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/meetings)
- 2026-10-13, One-time savings in the levy article counted a lifetime bond estimate. The levy article counted an $85,000 bond estimate as a one-time saving. That estimate adds up payments over the bond’s whole life, so it is now listed separately, and the one-time total is about $73,000, not $158,000. The article also said much of the 2026 levy increase came from restoring debt payments. Most of the debt increase was $136,355, the first levy for the 2025A bond. Restoring the 2019A bond payments added about $45,000. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/city-spending-and-taxes)
- 2026-10-13, Which Sterling the new plow truck replaces, and when it was ordered. The October 12 correction below said the 2000 Sterling is slated for replacement. That was wrong. On June 18, 2026 the council ordered the new truck, 3 to 2, to replace the 2007 Sterling and agreed to auction the 2000 Sterling. The fleet pages had dated the order July 14, 2026, which is when those minutes were approved. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet)
- 2026-10-13, Tax bill pieces and homes per mile in Part 2. Part 2 said the county is the largest piece of the tax bill by far. The county and the school district are the two largest pieces, and in Elk River schools the school share is larger. The homes-per-mile figure compared all road costs with only the operating share of a home’s city tax. Measured the same way on both sides it is about 41 homes a mile, not 52, and the claim that this density is impossible was removed. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/the-cost-of-saying-no)
- 2026-10-13, Road rebuild cost multiple. The road pages said a reclamation or reconstruction costs roughly 15 to 150 times as much. The page’s own cost table supports roughly 5 to 60 times the cost of a thin overlay. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/roads/funding)
- 2026-10-13, Ledger and budget item totals counted the same money more than once. The 2025 ledger counted every estimate, quote, bid, and contract for the same job, so approved bids and contracts read $4.84 million instead of about $1.18 million. Each job now counts once at its furthest stage. The bond figure added the authorization, the award, and overlapping parts of the same sale to reach $3.82 million. It now shows the $1.25 million actually sold. The budget items page added estimates, budgets, assessments, and revenue into one total, so that total was removed. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/money/ledger)
- 2026-10-13, School funding amendment payout increase. The guide said a rise from $68 to $81 per pupil was roughly 40 percent more. It is about 19 percent. The guide now shows supporters’ full estimate of $81 to $101. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/school-funding-amendment)
- 2026-10-13, Elk River referendum cost is a first-year figure. The guide now says its $419 estimate is the first-year cost and that later bond payments are expected to be larger. The calculator also said the farm first-tier limit for taxes payable 2027 was not confirmed. It is $3,840,000. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/elk-river-schools)
- 2026-10-13, State budget balances and reserves. The surplus answer gave only the positive balances. It now also says spending exceeds revenue each biennium, by about $3.4 billion in FY2028-29 counting inflation. A chart note applied the FY2026-27 reserve amount to FY2024-25, when reserves were about $3.5 billion. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/state-budget)
- 2026-10-13, Charged defendants, a commissioner’s tenure, and primary vote counts. Four source notes stated allegations against charged defendants as fact. They now attribute each claim to the charging documents and say the person is presumed innocent. The Heather Mueller entry now gives her April 2021 to January 2023 tenure, which covered the payment-stop reversal, the lawsuit, and the raids, and dates the legislative auditor’s review to June 2024. Vote counts for Qualls and Klobuchar were each off by a few votes, and all primary figures now come from the Secretary of State. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/politics)
- 2026-10-13, Fleet Funder plow truck comparison now counts today’s dollars. The page led with $204,371 as the extra cost of borrowing for the plow truck. That figure added up dollars paid in different years as if they were worth the same. The page now compares both plans in today’s dollars, adjusted for 3 percent inflation. Borrowing costs about $54,000 more, or about $75,000 more with bond fees. Later the same day the comparison was updated to have the equipment fund earn 3 percent, what the city’s funds actually earned in 2025, with bonds still at 4 percent, and to count bond fees as part of borrowing. Saving now costs about $359,000 and borrowing about $399,000 in today’s dollars, so borrowing costs about $39,000 more. The fleet overview’s yearly saving figure uses the same 3 percent, and the plow truck graphic and its table now count in today’s dollars too. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet/funder#one-truck)
- 2026-10-12, Dates and details corrected in the levy article. The step pay plan took effect June 1, 2026, not July 1. The 2000 Sterling, not the 2007, is the truck slated for replacement in 2027, and the truck that arrived in 2024 was a Mack. Transfers into the equipment fund did not stop entirely in 2023. There were none in 2023 and $6,000 in 2024. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/city-spending-and-taxes)
- 2026-10-12, Gravel share of Nowthen roads overstated in Part 1. The article said nearly half of city roads are gravel. City staff put it at about 25 of 61 miles, about 40 percent. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/pick-two-of-three)
- 2026-10-12, Four statements corrected in Part 2. The total value of Nowthen property, about $803.9 million, is a payable 2024 figure, not 2026. The county is the biggest piece of the bill in St. Francis and Anoka-Hennepin, but in Elk River the school district levies are bigger. The 1 percent farmland class rate applies to non-homestead land, and homesteaded farmland pays 0.5 percent on its first tier. The average home value comes from the Department of Revenue, not the county. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/the-cost-of-saying-no)
- 2026-10-12, Plow truck article misdated the emissions change and delivery. The new federal emissions standard takes effect January 1, 2027. July 1, 2026 was when build slots under the current standard were expected to close. The new truck is expected in the third quarter of 2027, with the chassis in early 2027. The 2023 Mack was delivered in 2024, not 2023. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/fleet/new-plow-truck)
- 2026-10-12, Luverne analysis rounding and seat description. The example now rounds to the nearest $1,000 so its figures subtract correctly. Residents save about $424,000, pay about $639,000 more, and are out about $215,000, where the article had said at least $210,000. The closing paragraph called the proposed commission seats permanently appointed. The council appoints them for three-year terms. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/luverne/analysis)
- 2026-10-12, Ham Lake and Nowthen tax comparison was labeled a whole bill. The city comparison on the property tax page called its totals a whole bill. It used payable 2025 tax-capacity rates and a blended school rate and left out school voter-approved levies charged on market value. It is now labeled as tax-capacity levies only, with a note that both cities’ actual bills are higher. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes#cities)
- 2026-10-11, Average Nowthen tax bill left out school referendum levies and one school district. The full-bill figures for the average Nowthen home ($3,819 in St. Francis schools and $3,955 in Elk River schools) used tax-capacity rates only. They left out the school districts’ voter-approved levies on market value and Nowthen’s third school district, Anoka-Hennepin. Corrected from Anoka County’s Pay 2026 final rates, the estimates are $4,108 (St. Francis), $4,292 (Anoka-Hennepin), and $5,179 (Elk River). The city’s share is about 28, 26, and 22 percent, not 28 to 30 percent. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes)
- 2026-10-11, Nowthen budget page showed Anoka County budget lines. The budget page queried budget lines without limiting them to Nowthen, so Anoka County lines appeared as an unnamed $424 million fund. Every Nowthen budget view now reads only Nowthen’s lines. (https://www.mnpublictools.com/money)

## Sources and citations

Source documents are linkable. City records cited on the site are served at https://www.mnpublictools.com/api/documents/<id>/file?redirect=1&page=N, which opens the original PDF at the cited page. Please cite the page on this site and the source document together.

- [Method](https://www.mnpublictools.com/about/method): How MN Public Tools ranks sources, separates recorded from calculated figures, labels provenance and analysis, uses AI, and corrects errors.
- [About](https://www.mnpublictools.com/about): Who builds MN Public Tools, why, how sources and numbers are labeled, how AI is used, and how errors are corrected.
- [Corrections log](https://www.mnpublictools.com/changes): A public log of factual corrections on MN Public Tools, plus the records most recently added.

## Optional

- [Full guide for language models](https://www.mnpublictools.com/llms-full.txt): Each section with its headline figures and sources, every signed article, and the corrections log.
- [Markdown versions of key pages](https://www.mnpublictools.com/md): Clean text of 20 key pages at /md/<path>, for example https://www.mnpublictools.com/md/taxes.
- [Sitemap index](https://www.mnpublictools.com/sitemap.xml)
- [Signed analysis feed (RSS)](https://www.mnpublictools.com/taxes/articles/feed.xml)
- [Corrections feed (RSS)](https://www.mnpublictools.com/changes/feed.xml)
- [Minnesota fraud updates feed (RSS)](https://www.mnpublictools.com/fraud/feed.xml)