2022-09-14 City Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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th August 30, 2022 Mayor Lisa Jacobson, City of Brooklyn Park Mayor D. Love, City of Centerville Mayor Jerry Koch, City of Coon Rapids Mayor Jim Adams, City of Crystal Mayor Mary Gaasch, City of Lauderdale Mayor Randy Stille, City of St. Anthony SENT VIA E-MAIL Dear Mayors, Thank you for contacting me in support of a special legislative session to finish important work and provide updates to the local government aid formula along with increased funding. I appreciate your insight into how this aid would benefit your cities. As you know, in mid-May a session-ending budget framework was agreed to and signed by me, Senate Majority Leader Miller, and Governor Walz to cut taxes for workers and families; and invest in people and communities. In addition, key federal infrastructure funds would have been accessed in several bills. While the conference committee agreement on the tax bill did not include House legislation to update the LGA formula Ï that was drafted in consultation with stakeholders from cities across Minnesota Ï the bill did include a $30 million per year increase in the allocation of LGA. Unfortunately, we reached out rd constitutionally mandated May 23 adjournment date without consensus on several bills needed to complete the budget framework agreement. While we continued conversations in the days after adjourning, Senate Republicans walked away from negotiations in mid-June. Despite these disappointing and frustrating setbacks, I and many of my colleagues remain ready to work, compromise, and finish up this work in a special session. My DFL colleagues and I believe we should return and pass the largest tax cut in state history, key investments in K-12 education, a bonding bill that will improve our infrastructure, matching state funds to access billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funds, and crucial investments in nursing homes, child care, public safety, housing Ï and LGA. We also need to continue work and conversations around updates to the LGA formula. As the Speaker of the House, I will continue to urge Senate Republicans to return to the table and join us in finishing the work to help Minnesotans. Thank you again for reaching out, and please always feel free to contact me whenever I can be of assistance.