From left, Chris Stalpes of the Becker-Big Lake Ice Association; Big Lake Mayor Lori Kampa; Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake; and Becker-Big Lake junior hockey player Matt Green provide testimony during a legislative hearing at the Capitol in St. Paul last Tuesday. (Submitted photo.)
By Mary Kiffmeyer State Representative
About 30 Big Lake/Becker hockey parents and students of all ages attended a legislative committee hearing in St. Paul last Tuesday and they left with smiles as bright as the Stanley Cup. The $500,000 bonding request to help construct the Big Lake Regional Ice Arena unanimously passed a House committee. It was my honor to author this bill in the House to give them the opportunity to have their voice heard.
In addition to creating local jobs during a tough economic time, the new facility would serve as a regional attraction with positive impacts on the local restaurant and motel industry, allow a local girls hockey program to be established and provide reasonable practice times for youth players. The arena would be constructed on five acres of Becker-Big Lake Ice Association (BBLIA) land along Hwy. 10 in Big Lake.
We need many more, successful, hearings at the Capitol before construction can begin, but this committee's approval was the first step in the House toward securing the last funding piece in a $3 million funding pie. Outstanding testimony was provided by Big Lake High School junior Matt Green, Big Lake Mayor Lori Kampa and Chris Stalpes, President of the BBLIA.
Recognizing the worthiness of the project, several things to remember are that our state faces a severe budget shortfall, this is not usually
a bonding bill year and there is fierce competition for limited funding in any year.
Working to repeal
state mandates
The subject of mandates to local units of government has long been discussed. However, this year, the budget shortfall has created a silver lining in which the legislature eagerly is looking for ways to help when money is so tight. A bipartisan bill to give local units of government more flexibility in their budgets passed a committee recently. This bill is one way we can help ease the burden of today's tight economy. There are several others working their way through the process, and that is welcome news.
State funding mandates handcuff local governments because they dictate for what and how much money local governments spend in particular areas. Serious problems arise when cities, townships and counties are forced to continue funding certain items, at certain levels, even if our shaky economy means they have smaller budgets. They may have more efficient ways to deliver the same service, but cannot move that money to a needier part of the budget due to mandates. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a budgetary nightmare.
The least we can do is give local governments some relief by allowing them flexibility and the ability to tailor spending to their local needs. This gives local officials - and the citizens - a greater voice and value in budget matters.
The bill (HF1195) also allows local governments to ask their taxpayers to support increased levy limits (property taxes). When the state increased funding, it also put a cap on the levy limits of local governments. But if we are cutting funding, we need to give back the local decision-makers the ability to go directly to their voters and make the case for the size of their tax levies. I do not agree that just because the state reduces aid, automatically the local unit of government should fill their budget with an increased levy. I hope that
with the relief of mandates they won't find that necessary.
Green Acres fixes still in committees
Three Green Acres land program bills remain active in the committee process, but no action has been taken on them recently. One of the three bills is a full repealer, another alters the most harmful changes and the third delays implementing last year's changes for a year. However, in a joint taxes committee hearing next week, March 17 at 6pm for any who would like to attend, all Green Acres bills introduced in the House will be on the agenda. Our goal is still to eliminate these damaging
changes made to this property tax program in 2008.
I also encourage constituents to contact my office with input regarding any state legislative issue. I can be reached via email at rep.mary.kiffmeyer@house.mn or by phone at (651) 296-4237 or 800-920-5875. Mail can be sent to Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, 229 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
