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(3) Fiscal Disparities* <br />ISSUE <br />Chief Authored by former Anoka State Legislator, Charles R. Weaver, the Twin Cities Area Fiscal Disparities <br />program, enacted in 1971, was created for the purposes of: <br />1. Providing a way for local governments to share in the resources generated by the growth of the <br />metropolitan area without removing existing resources; <br />2. Promoting orderly development of the region by reducing the impact of fiscal considerations on the <br />location of business and infrastructure; <br />3. Establishing incentives for all parts of the area to work for the growth of the area as a whole; <br />4. Helping communities at various stages of development; and <br />5. Encouraging protection of the environment by reducing the impact of fiscal considerations to ensure <br />protection of parks, open space, and wetlands. <br />Fiscal Disparities affects cities, counties, special taxing districts, and school districts within the seven -county <br />metro area. It has reduced tax base disparity throughout the seven -county metropolitan area to a level of 3- <br />to-1 (instead of the previous 10-to-1). <br />Any future legislation that would modify or impact the Fiscal Disparities program should only be considered <br />within a framework of comprehensive reform efforts of the state's property tax, aids and credits system. Any <br />proposed legislation that would modify or impact the Fiscal Disparities program must be evaluated utilizing <br />the criteria of fairness, equity, stability, transparency and coherence in the treatment of cities and taxpayers <br />across the metropolitan region, and must continue to serve the program's intended purposes. <br />RAMSEY CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION: The Ramsey City Council is in support of the Fiscal Disparities <br />program. The Ramsey City Council opposes future diversion from the Fiscal Disparities Program to fund <br />specific programs or projects, as this would contradict the purposes of the program. <br />>Topic Supported by: Anoka County <br />*Identical language as 2014 Anoka County Adopted Legislative Platform <br />(4) Right of Way Acquisition Fund (RALF)* <br />ISSUE: The 1982 Minnesota Legislature established a revolving right-of-way acquisition loan fund (RALF) <br />program to acquire undeveloped property threatened by development that is located within an officially - <br />mapped metropolitan highway right-of-way. This has been an effective tool for use by MnDOT and local <br />road authorities for several decades, including on portions of U.S. Highway 10 in Anoka County. <br />Unfortunately, the RALF account has essentially been "frozen" for the past several years due to lack of <br />available funds and a shift in the Met Council's transportation policy plan. This is creating a hardship for <br />those businesses on TH 10 in Anoka and Ramsey that may want to sell or redevelop but can't. The U.S. <br />Highway 10 / Armstrong Interchange project has identified a $7,000,000 property acquisition need, the U.S. <br />10 / Thurston and Fairoak projects have identified a $24 million property acquisition need for a total right of <br />way acquisition cost of $99 million. <br />RAMSEY CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION: State bonding funding of $10 million per year for the Right-of- <br />way Acquisition for Ten Expansion (RATE) projects in Anoka County on U.S. Highway 10 from Armstrong <br />Boulevard in the City of Ramsey through Fairoak Avenue in the city of Anoka. <br />>Topic Supported by: Anoka County <br />*Identical language as 2014 Anoka County Adopted Legislative Platform <br />2014 City of Ramsey Legislative Platform Page 2 of 6 <br />