DEED “Road Show” to tout agency’s economic development tools

DEED’s “Road Show” tour, led by agency commissioner Dan McElroy and other agency staff, will visit 11 cities across the state starting June 22 in Rochester. This year’s theme is “New Tools for New Times.”
These tour dates offer local elected officials and others an opportunity to learn more about the agency’s economic development tools, including the [...]

New Ulm Auto Fest

[ June 26, 2010; 3:00 pm; June 27, 2010; 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. ] Stop by New Ulm June 26 and 27 for the city’s annual Auto Fest. This large car, motorcycle and truck show—located in New Ulm on 2403 South Broadway in Maday Motors and Joe’s Camper Sales parking lots—features over 350 vehicles displayed in shimmering rows of shining metal! The event is not judged, so participants are welcome [...]

CGMC to present at LMC annual conference

[ June 25, 2010; 7:00 am to 8:00 am. ] Join fellow city officials and CGMC staff members for a recap of the 2010 legislative session and a preview of this year’s summer conference during the annual CGMC breakfast at the League of Minnesota Cities conference in St. Cloud. The meeting will be held June 25 at 7:00 a.m. in the Wilson Suite of the St. Cloud [...]

DNR Meetings on Parks and Trails

[ May 20, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. May 27, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 2, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 3, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 8, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 9, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 10, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 15, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 16, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. June 17, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ] The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is partnering with the Citizens League to organize 16 regional meetings around the state for May and June. At these meetings, citizens, civic leaders, and interested organizations are invited to participate in a discussion about the future of Minnesota’s parks and trails and funding sources. The locations and schedules [...]

After a long weekend, legislature passes budget deal with no further cuts to cities

Earlier this morning, the legislature passed its budget deal, which includes no further cuts to LGA and MVC. The bill ratifies the governor’s unallotments to LGA/MVC, and the legislature’s cuts from earlier in the session are still applicable, but the base funding level for city aid programs going forward is not impacted by the final [...]

Session Update: Agreement reached! No new cuts to LGA or MVC

DFL legislative leaders and Governor Pawlenty reached a budget agreement late Sunday night.  The deal will be passed by the legislature during a brief special session that started at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning.  The bill contains no new cuts to city aids and credits, but does ratify the governor’s unallotment cuts.

A 43% reduction? At what point will cities have played their fair role in balancing the state’s budget?

With the governor vetoing a legislative budget plan that would have protected LGA and Market Value Credit (MVC) from further funding cuts in 2010, the legislature will look for ways to redraft their plan in a way that will generate more support from the executive branch. Prior to last week’s unallotment ruling, the governor released a proposal for closing the state’s budget gap in light of delayed federal funding; this plan included an additional $87.5 to $102 million reduction in LGA and MVC for 2010 (an exact cut amount is unknown due to the uncertainty of how cities and counties would split the overall proposed cut to property tax aids and credits). The graph below shows that a cut on the low end of this range—on top of the governor’s 2010 unallotments to LGA and MVC and the legislature’s supplemental cut—would amount to an overall 43% reduction of LGA and MVC in this year alone. Even without the governor’s proposed supplemental cut, LGA and MVC have been reduced 29% in 2010 through unallotment and legislative action.