• 01Apr

  Capitol Chatter: Some fear tax bill will be end of local aid

  LGA, News Leave a Comment

  Several newspapers around the state published an article by Don Davis about the short- and long-term impacts on LGA in the House tax bill.   Rep. Paul Marquart worries about what the bill’s passage means for the future of  LGA.

  “I believe this bill will end Local Government Aid as we know it,” said Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, one of the Legislature’s most outspoken local aid proponents.

  As proof, he told about a comment by the chairwoman of a committee that deals with the aids. Rep. Linda Runbeck, R-Circle Pines, said in March 16 committee meeting that she intends the bill to begin the phase-out of aid sent to cities, which receive more money than counties and townships.

  Read the story here.

• 22Mar

  Lori Sturdevant: If not for LGA, cities would spend (and have) less

  LGA, News, Property Taxes Leave a Comment

  In her March 19th Star Tribune column, Lori Sturdevant writes about the history of LGA and asks what that state would look like now if it had never existed.

  State Rep. Linda Runbeck, R-Circle Pines, the House Property Taxes Division’s formidable gavel-wielder and budget hawk, deserves a nod for inspiring the “what if” question I mulled last week:

  What if, in 1971, Minnesota had not created local government aid (LGA)?

   Read the entire column here

• 16Mar

  Bemidji Pioneer: House GOP produces tax, LGA cuts

  Budget Updates, LGA, News Leave a Comment

  The Bemidji Pioneer oulines the current budget plan in the House Tax committee.  Metro cities and Duluth are targeted for LGA cuts, while rural cities’ LGA remains mostly intact. 

  Read the story here.

• 16Feb

  Fargo-Moorhead Forum: Minnesota LGA vital to cities

  LGA, News, Property Taxes, State Budget Leave a Comment

  The Fargo-Moorhead Forum weighed in on LGA in the paper’s editorial section today. Citing the disproportionate cuts cities have taken over the past decade, the paper notes that non-essential spending has been eliminated in most area cities, leaving municipalities the choice to either pare back critical services such as police, fire protection and snow removal, or increase property taxes and fees. As the paper notes, these actions widen the disparities between rural Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro that the LGA program was instituted to bridge. To read the full editorial, click here.

• 14Feb

  Ely Timberjay op-ed: LGA improves economic health of entire state

  LGA, News, Property Taxes, State Budget 1 Comment

  An opinion piece in today’s Ely Timberjay makes the point that the LGA program is a critical tool in keeping property taxes affordable in lower wealth communities. In response to wealthier cities that do not receive LGA and may feel shortchanged, the author argues that strengthening the economic vitality of lower wealth cities is in the interest of all Minnesotans:

  I would argue that Minnesota is one big community where citizens deserve to have basic public services and needs met with help from statewide revenues. Police and fire responders, public works, planning and zoning, utilities, a library and economic development are not too much to ask. Good governance, programs for children and teens and recreation are essential to healthy communities. We should not let small and poorer towns fall by the wayside.

  To read the full column, click here.

• 27Jan

  Montevideo warns further cuts will impact essential services

  LGA, News, Police, Snowplowing, State Budget Leave a Comment

  The City of Montevideo has been careful in budgeting for reduced LGA, but is informing residents that further cuts will impact essential services, such as police and snowplowing. As reported by the Montevideo American-News, the city stands to lose $365,000 under the legislative majority’s current proposal. While the city has a contingency plan for this round of cuts, residents will notice the fall-out of further state aid reductions:

  “We’re at a place where we’ve cut everything we can cut,” Jones said. “There is no fat left. We have already reduced staff, which is where the majority of the money is spent.”

  To read the full report, click here.

• 27Jan

  East Grand Forks to local legislators: Represent district, not party

  LGA, News, State Budget Leave a Comment

  In response to the legislative majority’s budget proposal to cut over $140 million from cities in 2011, mayors across the state are asking their local legislators to work on behalf of their constituents in crafting a fair solution to the state’s budget woes. The City of East Grand Forks, which stands to lose $578,000 under the current proposal, is going one step further and asking its freshman Republican legislators to be leery of the political pressure from caucus leaders to vote against LGA. To read the full report from the Grand Forks Herald, click here.

• 26Jan

  Albert Lea chamber urges state to support LGA funding

  Jobs, LGA, News, State Budget Leave a Comment

  The Albert Lea Tribune reports today that the area’s local chamber of commerce has signed a resolution in support of the local government aid (LGA) program. The City of Albert Lea stands to lose $1.1 million in state funding under the legislative majority’s current proposal. Asked why the chamber passed the resolution, Executive Director Randy Kehr responded:

  “This is a position our board felt we needed to take,” said Randy Kehr, executive director of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce. “We needed to stand up for the businesses and citizens in Freeborn County.”

  To read the full article, click here.

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