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.
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16Feb
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14Feb
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.
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27Jan
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.
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27Jan
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.
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26Jan
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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21Dec
With nearly three feet of snow falling this December in many areas of the state, some cities may plow through their snow removal budget before the end of the year. In the City of Rochester, the public works department has been overburdened by the cost of overtime for its employees, fuel for its fleet of snowplows and rental trucks for snow removal. According to a report from KTTC-TV, any additional snow accumulation may force the city to dig into other budget areas to cover the cost of keeping streets clear.
Years of cuts to LGA have forced cities like Rochester to cut essential services and increase property taxes on residents and businesses. This has resulted in increased property tax and service disparities across the state, which LGA was intended to alleviate. Cities in all corners of the state need to be strong and affordable in order to attract businesses and families, so during this upcoming legislative session, be sure to contact your legislators and urge them to maintain current LGA funding.
UPDATE: The Star Tribune reports that recent snow emergencies have also forced Minneapolis and St. Paul to deplete their snow removal budgets.
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30Nov
The holidays may be upon us, but due to budget cuts, the season may not be as bright for some Minnesota communities. As reported by WCCO-TV, the City of Mankato’s local budget cuts—which have been largely in response to LGA cuts at the state level—coupled with diminishing support from the local business community have meant a gradual phase-out of the city’s holiday decorations budget.
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29Oct
As election day nears, local media are taking a closer look at the gubernatorial candidates’ positions on LGA. Candidates Dayton, Emmer and Horner all have very distinct views on the purpose of the LGA program, its funding formula and how much money the program needs in order to effectively provide property tax relief. Thank LGA encourages you to learn more about these viewpoints by reading the articles below: