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State Representative Pat Garofalo
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1069
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS RELEASE
GAROFALO SLAMS SENATE TAX PLAN ~Bill as passed would raise local property taxes~
ST. PAUL – State Representative Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) today slammed the Minnesota Senate’s transportation bill, calling it “a legislative hit-and-run” on residents of Farmington and nearby townships.
As passed on March 23, Senate File 1986 would raise local property taxes in Farmington more than $1 million over the next five years by including the city in the “transit taxing district”. The surrounding townships of Eureka, Empire and Castle Rock would also be stuck with property tax increases under the bill.
“This is simply an outrageous money-grab by the Democrat-controlled Senate,” Garofalo said. “Not one proposed project would be constructed in Farmington, but the Senate seems more than willing to take our money. It’s a classic case of a legislative hit-and-run.”
The transit taxing district is run by the Metropolitan Council. By law, the council is able to levy property taxes in the district to pay for the construction of transit projects. Making Farmington and the surrounding townships part of the taxing district would show up directly on residents’ property tax bills, Garofalo said.
The bill was not part of the House transportation bill passed in late March, but was introduced by first-term Democrat Representative Shelley Madore of Apple Valley. Apple Valley is already part of the transit taxing district and would not be affected by the legislation. For being passed in one body and introduced in another, the property tax increase will remain alive during the conference committee when House and Senate members meet to iron out their differences.
“Essentially what they want is to build more projects and then stick us with the bill,” Garofalo said. “I will be following the conference committee very closely to see that this ‘tax more, get nothing’ scam is removed from the bill.”
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