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Moorhead officials outline 2025 legislative priorities, seek funding for flood projects and downtown initiatives
Summary
City governmental affairs director Lisa Bodie told the Moorhead EDA the city will press for flood mitigation funding, changes to the border cities enterprise zone, tax-exemptions for city hall renovations and support for public safety and transit during the 2025 state legislative session.
Moorhead governmental affairs director Lisa Bodie told the Moorhead Economic Development Authority that the city’s top 2025 priorities include completing flood-mitigation work tied to the FM diversion and seeking legislative help for downtown and tax measures.
Bodie said the city needs about $16,000,000 to renovate seven in-town lift stations to meet FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards, and estimated the total work needed to finish the diversion project and related projects at about $60,000,000.
The request is part of a broader policy agenda Bodie described to the EDA, which includes changes to the Border Cities Enterprise Zone to allow additional types of businesses — including certain entertainment and hospitality uses — to qualify and a carry-forward request to extend the downtown tax-increment financing (TIF) district build-out period from five to 10 years.
Bodie also said city staff will seek the same sales-tax exemption on building materials that the library/community center project received, noting the library exemption saved about $1,000,000; Bodie said city-hall construction is smaller but would benefit from the same approach. On public safety, Bodie said the city is pursuing recruitment supports and closer access to law-enforcement training in Moorhead to reduce training travel. On transit, she said the city seeks more predictable state funding under the new arrangement in which Moorhead buys service from Fargo.
The presentation included other items on the city’s legislative list: the Heartland Trail extension into Moorhead, support for the Jasmine Child Care Facility, backing for Clay County’s residential psychiatric treatment center proposal, passenger-rail initiatives, and proposals to strengthen the Morehead High School Career Academy.
Bodie described the political context in Saint Paul as fluid, noting special elections scheduled for Jan. 28 following a recent death and a resignation in the Legislature. She said the city uses two contract lobbyists funded through the EDA to monitor and advocate on these priorities.
Why it matters: flood-mitigation and downtown financing are capital-intensive and time-sensitive; state action or approvals could materially change project schedules and local budgets.
Questions from the EDA focused on next steps for advancing proposals at the Capitol and coordination with partner agencies. Commissioner White asked how to move the Urban Land Institute recommendations into implementation and suggested a facilitated workshop; staff said a joint workshop with planning and council members could be scheduled.
No formal EDA action was taken on the legislative priorities during the meeting.
