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Appendix G Cities that Received Authorization for a Local General Sales Tax but did not Implement Tax City Year Project Bemidji 1998 The city council did not put the tax to the required vote. The tax was intended to fund construction of a regional convention center. The center has not been built. Bloomington 1986 The city council did not pass an ordinance to impose the tax (no referendum was required). The proceeds were intended to pay for highway and other public improve- ments on and around the site of the former Metropolitan Stadium, now site of the Mall of America. Bloomington uses its lodging and liquor selective sales taxes to fund site improvements. Central This proposal would have allowed the cities of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Minnesota Waite Park, and St. Joseph to impose a local sales tax to fund construction and Cities 1998 operation of the Central Minnesota Events Center. The cities could have used any surplus revenue for specified projects of a regional nature. The tax did not take effect because it was defeated by referendum in four of the five cities. The Central Minnesota Events Center has not been built. Detroit Lakes 1998 The tax was defeated by referendum. The proceeds were to fund construction of a community center. Ascaled-down project went forward with money raised from donations by businesses and nonprofit organizations and from a state grant to the local school district, which provided an unused school building for the project. Ely 1992 The tax was defeated by referendum. It was intended to fund the Gateway Project, which involved building certain structures along highways. This project has not gone forward with funds from other sources. Fergus Falls 1998 The tax was defeated by referendum. The proceeds were intended to fund Project Reach Out, a series of construction projects and improvements including a regional conference center, regional park and recreational facilities, tourism-related develop- ment, and a community center. Ascaled-down project went forward instead. Financing came from a state grant, a grant from Children, Families and Learning (now the Minnesota Department of Education), private donations, and a city enterprise fund. The planned community center, aquatic park, and campground improvements were not done. Modest improvements to playgrounds were paid for from the city general fund. The city council did not put the tax to the required vote, although it still has Garrison 1993 authority to do so. The proceeds were to fund construction of a new sewer system. That project is nearing completion at this time. Funding has come from the state Wastewater Infrastructure Program. Also, the city and the Mille Lacs band tribal government formed a sanitary district in which the tribal government built a sewage treatment plant with the help of federal funds and owns the facility. The project is awaiting approval by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Hutchinson 1998 The tax was defeated by referendum. The proceeds were intended to fund construc- tion of a community and events center. The project went forward with a state bonding grant and a city matching amount. Half of the state money was used for acquisition of property (a shopping center) and half for renovations of buildings on the property to house the community center. The city's portion included money for property acquisition from its municipal hospital fund and a higher amount from the city capital projects fund for building renovation. The tax was defeated by referendum. The proceeds would have funded the Owatonna 1998 Owatonna Economic Development 2000 project and related facilities, which involved improvement of the Owatonna regional airport, including roads and utility infrastruc- ture, and other improvements for economic and tourism purposes. The airport upgrade was funded chiefly by a grant from the Aeronautics Division of the Minne- sota Department of Transportation and a lesser amount from the city general fund. Park projects were paid for by both private donations and the city general fund. Thief River The city council did not put the tax to the required vote. It was intended to fund Falls 1992 construction and operation of the Area Tourism-Convention Facilities, including a convention center with a tourist park and riverfront improvements. The project did not go forward. In 1992, the school district planned an excess levy referendum and the city deferred to the district by not placing the sales tax on the ballot. 33