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<br />By RICI~IARD MERYHEW • richm@startribune.com <br />~~ or more than 20 years, Carol Becker <br />has listened to the protests of Minne- <br />~'~ apolis taxpayers. She had never seen <br />" one cry. <br />~;,~~ :` Until December, when three elder- <br />ly women teared up as they took turns telling a <br />packed City Hall hearing that their property tax <br />bills have pushed them to the edge. <br />"I've never seen that type of anger and frustra- <br />tion,"said Becker, an elected member of the city's <br />Board of Estimate and Taxation. "'This is real pain <br />for real people:' <br />Homeowners across the Twin Cities metro <br />area are feeling the <br />CITY DREAMS weight of a tax bur- <br />den that's falling <br />BUCKLEUNDER their shoulderseBut <br />TAXES' WEIGHT perhaps nowhere is <br />the stress greater, <br />and the stakes high- <br />s Fallin home values and er, than in Minneap- <br />g olis, the state's most <br />rising property taxes unnerve populous city, its <br />Minneapolis homeowners. l7usiness center and <br />the place that has <br />long prided itself on having the means and the <br />will to be the region's sports, entertainment and <br />convention hub. <br />Many homeowners are facing double-digit tax <br />percentage increases in 20ll -and the prospect <br />of more hikes to come. Under that pressure, deep <br />frustration is replacing the pride of a city long <br />willing to pay for the extras. <br />Some people talk of moving out, if they can. <br />Others are struggling to better communicate their <br />anger to city leaders they often perceive as deaf to <br />their concerns. <br />"Is there something going on here?" asked <br />Becker, anout-of--work homeowner who testified <br />herself at the December hearing. "I'd say `yes: It's <br />not just one-year crankiness:' <br />Mayor R.T. Rybak, no stranger to tough budgets <br />since taking office in 2002, admits this year has <br />been one of the most trying for the city. <br />"State cuts and pension issues have especially <br />made it hard for us to balance the budget without <br />Taxes continues on A9 - <br />* ee ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <br />a w ~ ~ ~ ~+9 STAR TRIBUNE <br />EXCLUSIVE <br />IEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com <br />Steve and Rachel Maves bought their south Minneapolis house eight years ago for $180,000. <br />Its value first went up but has since fallen to $165,OOO.Their property taxes continue to rise. <br />