The big red chair has moved.

Page 2

Elks fall to STMA in section semifinal.

Page 33

County might turn to property tax increases for now

JOSH MONIZ Community Editor

In the wake of years of unfunded mandates from the Minnesota Legislature increasing the financial pressure for on cities and counties’, a wave of over 50 local option sales tax requests were submitted during the legislative session this year.

Inside:

Zimmerman HS coverage- 5-6 List of Class of 2026 graduates- 16-17 Community Scholarships- 18 Elk River HS High Honors- 19-24

The Legislature ended up passing none of them this year, which could result in increased property taxes for local taxpayers in the coming years.

“ There’ s frustration with a lot of the things coming down to counties, whether

Zimmerman HS High Honors- 25-26 Rogers HS High Honors- 27-30 Spectrum HS High Honors- 37-38 Ivan Sand coverage- 47-48

unfunded mandates or something else. These are really challenging time to try to find ways to comply with these mandates,” Sherburne County Board of Commissioners Chairs Raeanne Danielowski said at their May 19 meeting.

Sherburne County and the City of Elk River, the local government entities who submitted a request this year, sought them so they could pay for important projects in a more equitable way, since a sales tax can collect from other

PHOTO BY ERIK JACOBSON types of taxpayers, not just property owners, and from people who don’ t live in the city or county.

Sherburne County sought a local option sales tax for its major Sherburne County Jail replacement project and the City of Elk River sought to extend its existing one to pay for a fire station replacement, since the original project was unexpectedly funded ahead of schedule.

The Minnesota Senate included 37 of the requests in its Tax omnibus bill, but the Co-Chairs of the Minnesota House Tax Committee Co-Chairs couldn’ t come to a consensus on a omnibus bill due to philosophical differences.

Co-Chair Greg Davis, R-Preston, noted the House Republicans are“ very big on having referendums” since they require local voters approval to proceed.

“ We’ re not going to be able to do a whole lot for the folks who do so much for us, the counties and the cities( this session). So, if they take it out to the voters and the voters say,‘ We want to do this community center, fire hall, whatever it is,’ why not let the people do that?”

Co-Chair Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, argued

See SALES TAX | PAGE 3

Minutes from the ISD 728 School Board meeting.

See this and more public notices on pages 39-40.

www. facebook. com / elkriverstarnews

506 Freeport Ave., Suite A Elk River, MN 55330 Phone: 763.441.3500 Fax: 763.441.6401 www. erstarnews. com

https:// twitter. com / starnewsmn