Issue Position: State and Local Government

Issue Position

Senator Sieben continues to oppose drastic cuts to Local Government Aid (LGA).

This continuing trend of aid and credit cuts will result in higher property taxes as cash-strapped local units of government look to property taxes--which have grown by $3.3 billion since Governor Pawlenty assumed office in 2003--to fill the gap left by the state. For the first time since 1996, in fiscal year 2009 property taxes replaced the income tax as the largest source of state revenue.

Mindful of the crucial role local governments play in Minnesota, Senator Sieben and her colleagues passed initiatives to complement and assist them. Listed below are some of the actions that Senator Sieben supported to lessen the burden on cities, counties, and townships:

1. Collaborative Governance Council: A bi-partisan bill established the Collaborative Governance Council to identify and remove obstacles to collaboration across various levels of government. The Council will include representatives from local governments, schools, unions, the State Auditor's Office, and the Legislature. The Council will develop recommendations to improve the delivery of public services, reduce taxpayer costs, and enhance government efficiency.

2. Commission on Service Innovation: The Commission will provide the Legislature with a strategic plan to reengineer the delivery of state and local government services, including the realignment of service delivery by region and proximity, the use of new technologies, shared facilities, centralized information technologies, and other means of improving efficiency.

3. Assistive voting equipment: A new law, the product of a bill sponsored by Senator Sieben, allows the Secretary of State to grant federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds to counties and local governments to help defray the costs of purchasing and maintaining assistive voting equipment.

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