Dan Haglund
The Clay County Board of Commissioners got a legislative update from two local political representatives on Tuesday in Moorhead.
Minnesota state Sen. Rob Kupec, DFL-Moorhead, Dist. 4, and state Rep. Jim Joy, R-Hawley, Dist. 4B, highlighted the state funding changes from earlier this year, and how local governments and organizations are benefiting.
“It was a big legislative year,” Kupec said. “There were a lot of things passed, there was a lot of money moved. There was an increase in county aid from the state – local road and infrastructure, local bridge repair” were among myriad recipients of state tax dollars in 2023.
Kupec also noted that now some Minnesota cities under 5,000 in population will be eligible for transportation funding previously earmarked for larger cities only.
Childcare is another area the state has determined is a high priority for increased tax dollars, and Kupec said Gov. Tim Walz has called this a workforce issue, especially in rural areas.
Other increased funding has come in are areas of public safety, as well as for the Select Committee on Recycling and the Environment (SCORE), which came with a reduction in the solid waste tax.
The state also increased funding in “duty disability” for mainly law enforcement officers dealing with physical or emotional distress from work-related conditions, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Kupec also touched on the state’s legalization of recreational cannabis, which took effect on Aug. 1.
“Cannabis was one of the things that got a lot of attention in the Legislature this year,” Kupec said. “When the bill came up, it didn’t have any funding for local municipalities. They’re going to have an expense with this, so we made sure … that some of the money from the tax on cannabis goes to the local governments because they will have expenses in putting out licenses and overseeing the program.”
Looking ahead to 2024, Kupec mentioned a temporary elimination for counties’ cost for civilly committed individuals was passed, but only for the next two years.
Kupec also said there’s a rural water district in the northern part of the county (Georgetown and north) which is seeking some bonding monies, and this issue will be addressed in the coming months.
Commissioner Kevin Campbell, Dist. 4, affirmed that Clay County has included the whole county in the rural water district, except the cities of Moorhead and Dilworth.
Joy said his main concern with what the state passed is the overall personal and business tax rates, as compared to what the levels are across the Red River in North Dakota.
“I’m going to keep working on reducing the personal income tax,” Joy said. “Local control is a big thing for me. Another thing I’m going to be working on is 9-1-1 fees. I want to make sure all our 9-1-1 fees are going to public safety.”
Commissioner David Ebinger, Dist. 5, said Clay County’s 9-1-1 infrastructure, especially in the rural areas, is soon due for improvements. And such improvements will be at a considerable cost.