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Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities warns of fiscal squeeze, highlights EMS funding and honors local-backed legislator
Summary
The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities updated Pelican Rapids council members on the recent legislative session, describing a looming structural imbalance in state finances, mixed results on bonding and housing bills, and a $24 million EMS appropriation plus a $6 million ‘sprint medic’ pilot that will target rural response gaps.
Elizabeth, a representative of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, told the Pelican Rapids City Council on July 9 that the 2024 legislative session produced mixed results for Greater Minnesota, including a narrower-than-expected set of wins on bonding and emergency medical services funding.
"We thought there would be more money to spend going into the session, but a structural imbalance developed," Elizabeth said, describing the February budget forecast and how out‑year revenue projections constrained lawmakers. She briefed the council on the coalition's priorities: local government aid, property taxes, infrastructure bonding, EMS funding, and careful review of housing and land‑use proposals that coalition members felt were written with limited input from smaller cities.
The coalition sought a $120 million emergency aid appropriation for ambulance services statewide but said the final package fell short of that request. Senator Ras M, who accepted a Coalition “Legislator of Distinction” award during the presentation, described the eventual legislative outcome: a $24 million statewide appropriation directed largely to Greater Minnesota and a $6 million pilot for a sprint‑medic model to be tested in three counties.
"One of the first places I heard it was a problem was actually here in this room," Senator Ras M said, pointing to early local reports of strained ambulance readiness in smaller communities. He said the $24 million and the $6 million pilot are one‑time funds intended as a down payment, and that lawmakers still need to pursue sustainable long‑term reforms and reimbursement rate changes.
Elizabeth and the senator also discussed other session wins and losses: limited bonding dollars for local projects, modest increases for small city street programs, defeats or shelving of several housing density proposals, and efforts to raise caps on wastewater and drinking‑water grants that did not advance. Both urged continued engagement by city officials as the next session approaches, noting that elections and turnover could change legislative dynamics.
The council did not take action on the presentation. Staff packets provided additional detail on coalition priorities and contacts for follow‑up.
