State aid, flexible COVID rules top East Grand Forks’ legislative agenda
Those are topics that many, including Bradley Peterson, the director of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, hope will be considered as the Minnesota Legislature enters the second month of its regular session. 11:39 am, Feb. 2, 2021 ×
Snow fell on the Minnesota State Capitol building on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. (Dana Ferguson / Forum News Service)
The leaders of Minnesota cities outside of the Minneapolis metro area say they are most interested in more local government aid, which is a longstanding mechanism designed to buoy smaller and more rural governments’ bottom lines and, the thinking goes, keep them from hiking local property taxes.
Greater MN group pushing for bonding bill for water infrastructure projects
By Minnesota News Network|2021-02-01T05:45:14-06:00February 1st, 2021|
The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is asking lawmakers to pass another bonding bill this year for state public works projects although nowhere near as big as last year’s record-breaking 1.9-billion-dollar package. Spokesman Bradley Peterson says top lawmakers appear interested in a 200- to 300-million dollar bonding bill, and the Coalition is asking for 100 million of that for water infrastructure projects:
“I am hopeful that that’s something that the legislature could get done here, as they do all of their other work.”
At a Friday news conference, the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities said they hope the nation's divided Legislature can find a middle ground to help economically strained communities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities continuing push for Local Government Aid defense
During a Friday conference call, the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities again stated its most important issue for 2021 is protecting LGA. However, child care and water infrastructure were also cited as priorities. 3:23 pm, Jan. 29, 2021 ×
BEMIDJI The state Legislature has been in session for nearly a month and the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is keeping up its pressure to defend the Local Government Aid program.
The program is especially important to cities like Bemidji, which have a high volume of non-taxable property. The single most important thing the Legislature and governor can do this year to help Greater Minnesota communities is ensure that LGA is paid on time and in full, CGMC Executive Director Bradley Peterson said Friday. Peterson added that the coalition is already pleased with Gov. Tim Walz, who did not include any cuts to the program in hi