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Visiting lawmaker urges Good Thunder to present small-and-large project pitches after bonding disappointments
Summary
A state lawmaker visiting Good Thunder urged the city to prepare a range of project proposals so he can pursue fitting them into future bonding or transportation bills, lamented removal of Rapidan Dam funding from the governor's package and outlined recent state tax and car-tab relief measures.
A state lawmaker visiting Good Thunder on his annual district tour urged the city to prepare multiple, concrete funding requests — from small maintenance needs to larger infrastructure projects — so he can press them to the legislature or fold them into available bonding or transportation funds.
The lawmaker, who told the council he'd spent the past year on deployment with the U.S. Army Reserve, described recent state budget moves as "a game of ships and gimmicks," and highlighted several measures he said will affect residents: "We're going to see a $125,000,000 from property tax relief in the state" and "we got $254,000,000 worth of car tab fee reductions," which he said are tied to this year's surplus and may not be permanent after elections.
Why it matters: The representative said his district received roughly $800,000 in state bonding this cycle but that the council's $10.5 million ask was far larger than the allocations that were ultimately available. He encouraged the city to submit a "menu" of projects so he can try to place smaller requests ("puzzle pieces") into whatever funding becomes available from the transportation committee or the capital investment process.
On Rapidan Dam, the lawmaker said the governor's recommendation included $10,000,000 for the project but that the line item was dropped from the final bonding package. "I don't have a good answer to it," he told the council, adding he had discussed the matter with county officials and members of the bonding committee but could not explain why the dam was removed.
Council members warned that the dam and a nearby bridge are entangled as planning and funding questions. The representative said FEMA had begun talks with local officials and that federal discussions may have affected the state's course, but repeated that he could not yet confirm specifics.
He also raised healthcare concerns for the region, saying the state had prioritized larger systems but smaller providers remained vulnerable. "We saved Hennepin County Medical Center ... but we're not saving Medelia Health," he said, urging local officials to identify priority smaller projects for him to pursue.
What comes next: The lawmaker invited the city to assemble short, prioritized requests in time for legislative session and offered to meet again closer to session to convert those requests into items he can carry to Saint Paul.
