ST. PAUL, Minn. – Prospects are dimming for a special session to pass tax cuts and state budget updates. The end-of-session deadlock also left a bonding bill for state public works projects high and dry, which Bradley Peterson with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities calls a “bad outcome.”
He said there’s a backlog of water, wastewater, transportation, and other economic development projects. “Skipping again this year means that those projects will either not get done, become more expensive, or weigh more heavily on local taxpayers,” he said.
A planned increase in state aid to cities also fell by the wayside. Peterson said that was agreed to by the House and Senate in their negotiations. It was a $30 million increase to an important program to help support cities across the state and help restrain property taxes.
Peterson said not passing a bonding bill, not approving state aid for cities and counties, and not increasing the homeowner’s and renter’s credits could result in property tax increases.
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