Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities Announce Priorities for Legislative Session

ST. PAUL—As lawmakers begin to shape their plans for how to utilize the state’s historic $17.6 billion budget surplus, leaders from the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) are calling on Governor Walz and the Legislature to invest in fundamental programs and priorities that address pressing issues in communities throughout Minnesota.

Thief River Falls Mayor and CGMC President Brian Holmer, Annandale Mayor Shelly Jonas, and Waite Park City Administrator Shaunna Johnson, said for Greater Minnesota, that means investing in urgent issues like Local Government Aid (LGA), wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, workforce needs like child care and housing, and addressing the effects duty disability claims have had on cities.

As its top legislative priority for 2023, the CGMC is seeking a $105 million increase in LGA, a statewide program that is vital to restraining property taxes, reducing inequities between communities, and making sure all cities are able to provide high-quality services and quality-of-life amenities to their residents and businesses, according to Mayor Holmer.

The CGMC is also urging the Legislature to pass a large capital investment bill (a.k.a. a “bonding bill”) that includes $299 million for water and wastewater infrastructure grant and loan programs.

The CGMC is also calling for state investments in programs that address the child care and housing shortages that have long been obstacles to economic growth in Greater Minnesota.

Holmer stated that Thief River Falls is experiencing a critical child care and housing shortage, a sentiment shared by many community leaders across Greater Minnesota.

The CGMC has added a new area of focus to their legislative agenda this year – public safety officer duty disability claims. In Minnesota, the number of public safety personnel claiming duty disability continues to increase. When a public employee receives a duty disability pension, Minnesota law requires cities continue paying for the employee and their dependents’ health insurance until age 65. The resulting health insurance liability for employers is often hundreds of thousands of dollars per employee.