12Apr
The Twin Cities Daily Planet ran a series of articles about LGA and how the budget battles at the legislature could affect the future of Minnesota’s cities. These four stories highlight some of the voices in the debate and the possible consequences of the bills under consideration at the Capitol:
Cut LGA? Fighting words for mayors across Minnesota
What “no new taxes” means for local property owners
Looking for the money: What about local sales taxes?
Mayors to state lawmakers: We don’t want the Twin Cities to become Detroit
04Apr
The Albert Lea Tribune turns to botany as a metaphor to describe the interconnectedness of Minnesota communities. Their April 4th editorial focuses on the importance of LGA in equalizing property taxes across the state and helping all communities provide basic services.
It has become frustrating for people in Greater Minnesota and in Minneapolis and St. Paul to see increasing property taxes, industrial taxes and fees and yet have fewer services - all thanks to the annual barrage the suburban leaders make on local government aid.
Granite Falls Mayor Dave Smiglewski said it best last week in a conference call: “Minnesota is one state and we succeed or fail based on whether we work together.”
Read the entire editorial here
01Apr
A Forum editorial notes that the recently passed House tax bill could mean higher property taxes across the state.
Minnesota’s budget crisis has not gone away. In fairness, legislators are trying to balance a budget that is deeply in the red. But fairness was the initial motivation for LGA. It was designed to address basic services concerns in cities where tax bases were not as lucrative as they are in wealthy suburbs. The program has worked very well for Moorhead, Detroit Lakes and dozens of other out-state cities. It has helped keep those cities financially sound and attractive to residents.
Read the entire editorial here
01Apr
The Marshall Independent reported on a March 30 conference call of mayors from large and small Minnesota cities. The mayors of Granite Falls, Cloquet, St. Paul and Minneapolis spoke out about possible cuts to LGA and how essential it is to providing basic services.
[Cloquet Mayor Bruce] Ahlgren said his city is already feeling heavy burdens because of budget problems. He said the city has reduced staff through attrition and has combined positions so one person is doing the job of two; there also been pay freezes there, furloughs and shortened hours at the library.
“The next thing we would end up having to do if we lose LGA, we’d have to cut public safety, that’s something no one wants to do,” he said. “We need LGA to continue. You can come here and look at our streets and tell we don’t have money to fix our infrastructure.”
Read the Marshall Independent story here
The West Central Tribune also reported on the conference call here
01Apr
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
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
22Mar
“WILLMAR - The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is urging the Legislature to retain the 2011 level of local government aid to cities at $527 million, 5 percent less than the amount certified by the state in 2002.
Cities are relying on the state to honor appropriations that local officials used to establish their 2011 budgets, according to a coalition spokesman.”
Read the story here
16Mar
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.
