Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities

6/17/09: The Governor is cutting a combined $64 Million in LGA and MVHC in 2009 and $128 million in 2010. The 2010 cuts are being made from a city's projected 2010 LGA. Click here to see your cities actual 2009 LGA and projected actual LGA for 2010 under the Governor’s unallotment.

6/16/09: Governor cuts $192.5 million from cities as part of his unallotment. $147 million of the cuts come from LGA with the remaining coming from MVHC. The cut cannot be greater than 3.31% of a city’s levy plus aid in 2009 and 7.64% in 2010. There is a per capita cap of $22 for 2009 and $55 for 2010. Cities under 1,000 in population with less than the statewide average tax base will not be cut. Click here to see how your city will be affected.

6/2/09: Materials for this year's CGMC summer conference in Brainerd are now available. Click here for more information.

5/31/09: CGMC President Wayne Wolden, Mayor of Wadena, will be a guest on At Issue with Tom Houser. The show airs Sunday morning, May 31, on your ABC affiliate. Check your local listings for the exact show time.

5/19/09: The 2009 session ended late last night with the hurried passage of a tax bill. The bill closely mirrors the previous tax bill and balances the state's budget deficit by raising $1 billion through a fourth-tier income tax bracket, increased alcohol and cigarette taxes, and an added tax on excessive interest rates.

Noticably absent in the tax bill, however, is any reduction to any property tax aid and credit program, including LGA. Although not confirmed, it's our belief that these cuts were avoided due to the governor's nearly $400 million line-item veto to the General Assistance Medical Care program. Of course, if the governor vetos the latest tax bill, which is widely expected, he will have the ability to unallot any of these programs by any desired amount starting July 1.

5/18/09: Over the weekend, there was no movement toward a budget agreement between the governor and legislative leadership. With tonight's midnight deadline looming, the governor's ultimatum to unallot programs on his own is still a viable outcome if no agreement is reached.

As of this morning, the governor is still pushing to close the budget gap with an additional $1 billion of cuts, while the legislature favors $1 billion in new revenue (fees or taxes). On Sunday, the House failed to override the governor's veto of its first tax bill. As of this time, the legislature has continued to say "no" to the governor's original plan to borrow to replace the $1 billion of cuts.

Also on Sunday, Thank LGA released a new online video that profiles Cheryl Hodge, a Winona resident who spoke candidly about the murders of her family members and the need to keep LGA for funding police. Winona stands to lose 2 to 3 police officers if Governor Pawlenty's cuts take effect. Click here to view this video now.

5/16/09: The DFL leadership has made a counter-offer to the governor. The offer includes a $1.78 million in school payment shifts and $986 million in unspecified permanent revenue. The offer also cuts $120 million in LGA, county aid and MVC. A $169 million reduction in State Government, $52 million in additional spending reductions in signed budget bills and the restoration of $363 million in vetoed health care assistance.

5/16/09:After meeting with the DFL leadership the governor created a new offer. His offer does not include any new revenue either through bonding or taxes. Instead the governor offered $1 billion in cuts along with $1.75 billion in school payment shifts. Included in the $1 billion in cuts is $450 million in LGA, County Program Aid and Market Value Credit. This is $58 million less than the governor’s original budget proposal. The governor has also offered to cut $100 million in other tax programs, $250 million in Health and Human services and $190 million in Higher Education.

5/16/09 Rumors of actual meeting between DFL leaders and Governor to occur at 11:00 this morning

5/15/09: Legislative leaders appeared on TPT’s Almanac and say they are willing to meet with the Governor tonight. Later in the evening no meeting occurs as DFL leaders meet in public with the Commission of Revenue to discuss the possible unallotment of aids to counties and cities. The DFL leaders say that they have received no invitation to meet with the governor, but say he is welcome to meet with them at this public meeting.

5/14/09: Governor announces he will sign all omnibus appropriation bills and then line-item veto and unallot programs to balance budget. Without a deal with the legislature, the Governor said LGA cuts will be between the House’s $85 million and the Governor’s $246 million, but probable closer to the Governor.

4/21/09: The Senate presents its tax bill. For a summary, click here. To see a comparison of how your city's LGA is affected under the governor, House, and Senate's plans, click here.

4/20/09: House presents its tax bill. For a summary, click here.

4/2/09: How does your city fare under the House and governor's proposed LGA reductions? Click here for a comparison run. To learn more about the House's plan, click here for the House Research Summary.

3/23/09: House Property Tax Chair Paul Marquart (DFL-Dilworth) proposes a county option revenue reform initiative. Click here to read the details of the proposal. Click here for a run from the House Research Department that contains the projected impact on counties.

3/3/09: The Land Use Reform Bill successfully passed out of its first committee and is now on to the House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections Committee.

3/2/09: Land Use Reform legislation is being presented to various committees. Click to read H.F. 1035 (Hosch) and S.F. 913 (Bakk).

2/27/09: Click here to read the Municipal Boundary Adjustment Final Report.

1/30/09: Click here for a new run of the governor’s proposed LGA cuts. To see what your estimated LGA payment will be under the governor’s budget for 2009 and 2010, look at columns labeled “Gov's Budget Total Est. 2009 LGA” and “Gov's Budget Total Est. 2010 LGA”.

1/27/09: Governor Pawlenty proposes 15% cut to LGA for 2009, 31% cut for 2010. Click here to see how this proposal would affect individual cities. (This is the revised version.)

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