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<br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 Response: Rules affecting the municipal state aid system need to be changed to <br />42 acknowledge the technical and practical restrictions on construction and reconstruction of <br />43 urban road systems. New municipal state aid design standards should not apply to <br />it reconstruction of existing state aid streets originally constructed under different standards. <br />Future changes to state aid rules should ensure the involvement of elected officials and <br />4 engineering professionals in the decision-making process. <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />It <br /> <br />Response: The Legislature should continue to fully fund the job skills partnership <br />and pathways programs administered by the Dept. of Trade and Economic Development. <br />The Legislature should provide additional funding to local workforce councils for the <br />purpose of upgrading the skills and productivity of the workforce. <br /> <br />LE-26. Adequate Funding for Transportation (AF) <br /> <br />Issue: Current funding for roads and transit systems across all goveroment levels in the <br />state is not adequate. If funding remains inadequate, Minnesota's transportation system will not <br />meet the capacity needs necessary to sustain population growth and promote economic <br />development. The League acknowledges that all Minnesota tommunities benefit from a sound <br />and adequately funded transportation system that offers diverse modes of travel. <br /> <br />Response: More resources must be dedicated to the state's transportation system. <br />The League supports constitutionally dedicating a portion of the sales tax on motor vehicles <br />(also referred to as the MVST) or other new revenue sources to a transportation fund, <br />which would fund both highway and transit projects. The League also supports an increase <br />in the gas tax that would be dedicated under the existing highway user trust fund formula. <br />Replacement funding for vehicle registration taxes (known as tab fees) must be <br />constitutionally dedicated to the highway user trust fund. <br /> <br />If adequate funding does not come from the state, cities should have funding options <br />such as special taxing authority made available to them to raise the necessary dollars to <br />adequately fund roads and transit. <br /> <br />The League also supports special funding for cities burdened by excessive cost <br />participation responsibilities imposed by improvement projects on the state's principal <br />arterial system, and for transportation components of economic development and <br />redevelopment projects of regional significance. Cities under 5,000 should be eligible for <br />this funding. <br /> <br />All nontransportation programs should be funded from sources other than the <br />highway user distribution fund or other funds dedicated to transportation. <br /> <br />LE-27. State Aid for Urban Road Systems (AF) <br /> <br />Issue: Current rules governing municipal state aid expenditures are restricting the <br />efficient use of these funds, and do not adequately acknowledge the constraints of road systems <br />in urban city environments. <br /> <br />19 <br />