Welcome to Steele County Auditor's Office

The Auditor's Office is located on the first floor of the Steele County Administration Center at 630 Florence Ave, Owatonna, MN.  

Laura Ihrke, Steele County Auditor
Phone: 507.444.7414
Email: Laura.Ihrke@co.steele.mn.us

The Auditor's office works and partners with various county departments, townships, cities, school districts and special taxing districts.

The Auditor's Office is responsible for the following areas:

• Calculation of tax capacity rates on which all taxes are levied, and computes taxes on each parcel of land for real and personal property.
  • These taxes are based on the budgets of the county, townships, cities, school districts, and special taxing districts.
• Calculation and assignment of special assessments for cities, county and townships, as certified, to the proper parcel for collection.
• Transfer of deed documents and maintaining property owners in the County Tax System.
• Maintaining the status of delinquent tax records, applying late penalties, fees and interest, and mails and publishes notices as required by State Statute. 
• Managing delinquent tax accounts, Confession of Judgments and tax-forfeited lands process.
• Settlement of Delinquent taxes to State, Townships, Cities, School Districts and Special Taxing Districts.
• Coordinating and keeping of records for each drainage system, by working with the surveyors and land owners through public meetings and is responsible for filing ditch liens and assessments for maintenance.
• Internal County functions of Accounts Receivable/Payable
• Recording and archiving of Commissioner Board minutes.
• Maintaining County Ordinances.
• Issuing of licenses for the County including Auctioneers (resident and non-resident), Precious Metal Dealer, Body Art Establishment, Dangerous Dogs and Liquor licenses.
• Serve as the Election Official of the county in which the Auditor is responsible for:
  • training election judges and officials,
  • ordering and providing of ballots,
  • overseas the registering of voters,
  • absentee ballot administration,
  • filing office for certain candidates,
  • election supplies to the voting precincts of the county,
  • election night headquarters for accumulating and uploading results to the Secretary of State
  • County Canvassing of election results.