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House Tax Committee hears Olson county project bill for sales tax exemption on regional exhibition center
Summary
House File 156 would grant a sales tax exemption for materials for an 80,000-square-foot regional exhibition center at Graham Park (Olmsted County fairgrounds). County and commissioner testimony described bonding history and local match needs; the bill was laid over for omnibus consideration.
The House Tax Committee considered House File 156 on Oct. 27, 2025, a bill to provide a sales tax exemption for construction materials for a planned regional exhibition center at Graham Park (the Olmsted County fairgrounds) in Rochester.
Representative Anderson presented the bill and called Commissioner Dave Sundrom of the Olmsted County Board to testify. Sundrom described the planned facility as an approximately 80,000-square-foot regional exhibition center adjacent to the fairgrounds and intended for year‑round programming in addition to the county fair. He said the county initially requested $20 million in bonding and received $8 million; remaining costs raised the county’s local share to about $34 million.
Sundrom said a materials sales tax exemption would help the county stretch local dollars and reduce property-tax financing pressure for the project. He described the fairgrounds as a long‑standing community asset (gifted to the city in 1919) and said the project would support agricultural and other regional events year round.
Representative Anderson renewed his motion that House File 156 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
No department testimony was recorded at the hearing. The committee did not adopt substantive changes beyond the author’s amendment.
