Council directs staff to proceed with steps to implement local sales tax for maintenance facility; collection could begin July 1

Following passage of a local sales-tax referendum measure, Roseville city staff asked the council on Feb. 24 for direction on timing to implement the tax that will help fund a new maintenance/facility project.

City Manager Pat Trojian told council the city must notify the Minnesota Department of Revenue at least 90 days before the desired start of collection and must adopt an ordinance and related administrative steps. If the council wants collections to begin July 1, 2025, staff must provide the required notification and ordinance steps in March. If the council delays, the next viable start date would require an Oct. 1 filing for a later collection date.

Trojian said the city has already begun project work that incurs costs (for example, architect fees) that can be reimbursed from future sales-tax proceeds if the city delays implementation. He said staff could move ahead with the ordinance and required notifications or wait for additional clarity on final project scope and financing. Council members expressed support for beginning collections sooner rather than later so reimbursements and project timing align with expenditures made now.

Council gave staff direction to proceed with drafting the ordinance and required filings to aim for a July 1 collection start; no separate ordinance vote was held that night. Trojian said staff will bring the ordinance forward at a future council meeting for formal adoption and complete the necessary Department of Revenue notification and administrative work.