The Fergus Falls Daily Journal is reporting today that seasonal and part-time workers may be the first victims of the city’s 2009 LGA cuts. Overtime for other workers is also expected to be reduced. As always, reductions in personnel will inevitably lead to reductions of valuable services. The article quotes City Administrator Mark Sievert, who says the outlook for 2010 is even worse, and while these cuts may be “doable” in the short term, they are far from sustainable.

Because of proposed LGA cuts, cities across the state are being forced into similar lose/lose situations. Be sure to read about their stories here. Short-term fixes are no way to solve the state’s economic crisis. Now more than ever, we need a fair, stable, and sustainable solution that will make Minnesota economically stronger.

The Star Tribune is reporting that Minnesota’s unemployment rate climbed to 7.6% in January. Unfortunately, news of layoffs has become the norm these days, and even corporations once thought untouchable, such as Best Buy, Target, and 3M, are feeling the pain.

In an economic crisis such as this, the last thing Minnesota needs is thousands of firefighters, police officers, librarians, road crews, and other city workers to get the pink slip as well. However, if the governor’s proposed cuts to LGA gain support in the Legislature, this will inevitably be the case, as many cities have noted. Keeping Minnesotans employed is critical to the economic health of the state. Let your legislators and the governor know that LGA means jobs, and we can’t afford to lose any more.

The Alexandria Echo Press is reporting today that their firefighters have saved more than $1.5 million of property over the last year from fires. Overall, the city’s firefighters responded to 204 calls in 2008, and in 79% of the calls, firefighters were on the scene in 6 minutes or less.  The article also notes that firefighters participated in extensive training sessions and drills last year in order to prepare for these emergencies. We applaud the city’s firefighters for a job well done!

Well-trained, quick-responding firefighters are one of the many city services we depend on in emergency situations. For many cities, LGA is key to financially supporting firefighter salaries, training, and equipment. In fact, cities have noted that with the governor’s proposed LGA cuts, fire department budgets could take a big hit. If you value your firefighters, contact your legislators and the governor, and tell them that your city needs LGA for dependable fire protection!

Today’s Pioneer Press had an excellent front-page article about the importance of libraries, especially during economic downturns. We all know that libraries aren’t just for books anymore. Internet access, CDs, DVDs, newspapers, magazines, and more are all at a library patron’s fingertips. As folks cut down on their spending habits, such as cable and Internet bills or magazine subscriptions, library usership goes up. Since most employers require job applicants to submit resumes online, libraries especially see an influx of patrons browsing the web for job postings and completing applications online.

Because of the governor’s proposed LGA cuts, many cities are considering significantly reducing library hours, cutting budgets for new books and materials, and even laying off staff. These cuts would be detrimental, and impact everything from children’s story hour to adult literacy programs. If you want to protect your library from funding cuts, contact your legislators and the governor, and tell them that cutting LGA is unacceptable.

UPDATE: The City of St. Paul hosted a budget listening session February 24, and library supporters came out in droves. Click here to read the Pioneer Press article.

Legislators will be touring the state February 19 and 20 to discuss the governor’s budget proposal. Click here to see a complete schedule of the tour stops. It is imperative that you attend one of these meetings. The budget discussion is now in the Legislature’s court. Legislators need to know that LGA and fair property taxation must be a top priority for the state.

The House has set up a website where you can sign up to speak at one of these forums. This is a great opportunity to speak up about the importance of your city services and fair property taxation. Make sure to sign up today!

This website was created as a place to get information on Minnesota’s Local Government Aid (LGA) program, to learn about how cities and residents may be affected by proposed cuts to the programs, and to speak out about what LGA means to you and the services you depend on.

To close the state’s projected $4.8 billion deficit, Governor Tim Pawlenty has proposed cutting LGA by 15% in 2009 and 31% in 2010. These cuts would have a profound and devastating effect on city services and property taxes. LGA helps cities with high need or low property wealth fund essential services, such as police, fire protection, libraries, parks, and road maintenance—all at an affordable price to local property taxpayers. Without LGA, cities would have to dramatically reduce services or increase property taxes. In touch economic times like these, property taxpayers are already stretched to their limits, and cities can’t attract new business or workers without livable, vibrant communities. Now more than ever, the state can’t afford to disinvest in its cities.

Check back regularly for the latest news on LGA—or better yet, sign up for our RSS feeds (a link to our feeds is located at the bottom of your web browser window). Also, be sure to contact your legislators and tell them that LGA is important to you!