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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 APPOINTED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AID REFORM GROUP
ST. PAUL – State Representative Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, announced today that he has been appointed to serve on the Minnesota House Local Government Aid Reform Group. The committee will meet this fall to examine the history of Local Government Aid (LGA) programs and assess reform options for the future.
“We need to re-examine the nature of local government aid funding programs to make sure they are working efficiently and effectively,” Garofalo said. “This is a half-a-billion dollar program in need of clear goals that we can use to figure out what is working and what isn’t. That’s something missing across most of government.”
The Legislature created Local Government Aid in the 1970s as a way to help cities fund basic government services and the program has been through numerous changes. In 2009, the program will receive more than $480 million of state funding. Garofalo said two of the accountability goals need to focus on the program’s effect on property taxes and its equity across the state.
“Right now we have a situation where small cities aren’t getting what they need, suburbs get absolutely nothing and three cities get nearly one-third of the entire pot of money,” Garofalo said in reference to Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth receiving more than $166 million from the LGA program. “Those are cities with massive commercial and residential tax bases receiving millions while smaller cities that actually need the help get little or nothing.”
The committee will meet for the first time on Thursday, October 15 at the State Capitol. Other members include legislators from both parties and representatives of local governments.
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