Title
Approving the City of Saint Paul's 2014 Legislative Agenda.
Body
Amended 2/5/2014
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is a major center of commerce and business activity; and
WHEREAS, cities provide important public services including police, fire, public works, code enforcement, libraries, parks and recreation, housing and economic development, and city administration; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul, as the capital city, must protect and enhance its community cultural, educational, and entertainment assets of statewide importance which contribute to our regional economic competitiveness; and
WHEREAS the City of Saint Paul continues to act with purpose to ensure that people in our region can live and work in a diverse, vibrant community with quality educational opportunities, safe streets and modern infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the Central Corridor light rail transit project and redevelopment of University Avenue marks an undertaking of statewide significance that must leverage private investment and provide support for existing businesses in order to maximize job creation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is challenged to address the societal impacts related to the mortgage foreclosure crisis, academic achievement gap, employment disparities, and the concentration of poverty; and
WHEREAS, the Governor and Legislature restored $80 million of Local Government Aid during the 2013 session, of which $10.1 million was for Saint Paul, helping the City stabilize its budget with a flat levy and without cutting critical services.
Now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the following items are the legislative agenda of the City of Saint Paul for the 2014 Minnesota legislative session:
Revenue, Taxes and Finance
· Advocate for the continued restoration of previous cuts to LGA, a reduction in the year-to-year volatility of aid levels that cities received, and add a growth factor for the cost of providing city services.
· Oppose state...
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