Local Government Renewable Energy Grant application process now open

The Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Energy Security (OES) requests proposals from Minnesota school districts and local governments for the Local Government Renewable Energy Grant Program funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 Grants will be awarded competitively to eligible school districts and local governments.

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.

Mayors: Communities are at stake

Mayors from St. Paul, Minneapolis and greater Minnesota gathered at the Capitol today to deliver the follow message regarding the governor’s latest plan to cut LGA:
St. Paul, Minn.—Devastating, disproportionate and irresponsible. That’s how Minnesota city leaders characterized Governor Tim Pawlenty’s latest round of proposed cuts to local government aid (LGA). Mayors from across the state [...]

How would your city fare under Governor Pawlenty’s new round of LGA cuts?

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Pawlenty released a plan to balance the state’s budget based on the belief that $400 million in anticipated federal money will not be delivered to the state before the session adjourns. Cities can anticipate deep cuts under the governor’s proposal.

Editorial board sees value in angel tax credit

The Rochester Post-Bulletin editorial board discusses the merits of recently signed legislation that includes an angel investor tax credit. CGMC has been a vocal supporter of this credit because it will spur economic activity and bring needed investment dollars to small businesses in greater Minnesota communities.

Governor line-item vetoes $319 million, BDPI funding survives

Earlier today, the governor issued his line-item vetoes of the state’s bonding bill. $319 million in projects—mostly those deemed to have questionable statewide impact—were eliminated from the bill. The governor’s letter to legislative leaders detailing these reductions can be found here.
Funding for the Business Development Public Infrastructure (BDPI) grant survived the governor’s veto pen. The allocation amounts [...]

Cities propose bill to protect essential services and property taxpayers

The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities released a statement to the press this morning regarding a bill to protect LGA funding.

Updated Bonding Request Spreadsheet

The Capital Investment Committee released a revised bonding request spreadsheet the compares the House, Senate, and governor’s recommendations.