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reforms that give cities the flexibility to <br />provide quality goods and services at the <br />lowest cost to taxpayers. <br />SD -17. Recreational Program <br />Awards and Trophies <br />Issue: Cities and towns are allowed to <br />expend up to $800 per year for awards and <br />trophies for recreation programs. The $800 <br />cap was enacted in 1957 and places an <br />unnecessary limit on local governments to <br />support recreation programs. Recreational <br />programs supported by the city provide <br />opportunities for all residents and reflect the <br />interests of the community. <br />Response: The Legislature should amend <br />Minn. Stat. § 471.15 to eliminate the cap <br />on purchases for awards and trophies for <br />recreation programs. <br />SD -18. City Enterprise Operations <br />Issue: Historically, city enterprise <br />operations have been created in response to <br />community needs, lack of a private market, <br />financial reporting requirements, state and <br />federal mandates, to enforce state and local <br />law, and to ensure a quality of life for the <br />residents of a community. Establishing an <br />enterprise operation allows a city to provide <br />a desired service while maintaining financial <br />control over service levels, costs, and public <br />inputs. <br />In some cases, enterprise operations produce <br />general public benefits and may require <br />public support to ensure a desired level of <br />service at a reasonable cost. The benefits of <br />an enterprise operation, therefore, should be <br />evaluated not solely in terms of profitability <br />but also on the service benefits to citizens of <br />the community. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports the local decisions made <br />by cities to deliver services by establishing <br />a city enterprise operation. The state <br />should refrain from infringing on the <br />ability of a city to provide services for its <br />community. <br />SD -19. Constitutional Amendments <br />Issue: The Minnesota Constitution requires <br />that a constitutional amendment be approved <br />by a simple majority of both chambers of the <br />Legislature at one session, and must then be <br />ratified by a majority of all the voters voting <br />at the election. Minnesota is one of 18 states <br />that require a simple majority vote by <br />legislators while 26 states require a higher <br />threshold (17 states require a two-thirds <br />majority and nine require a three-fifths <br />majority). Since statehood, 215 proposed <br />constitutional amendments have been voted <br />on by the electorate; 120 of them have been <br />approved (56%) and 95 rejected (44%). <br />Cities provide a variety of critical and <br />essential services to residents of Minnesota. <br />Many public policy decisions at the state <br />level impact cities and therefore, city <br />officials depend on their state legislators to <br />represent city interests at the Legislature. <br />Additionally, unlike a statutory change, a <br />constitutional amendment is difficult to <br />modify or repeal once enacted. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities strongly supports our <br />representational system of government <br />and opposes laws and amendments that <br />restrict local government. The Legislature <br />is the appropriate governing body to <br />consider and enact laws that reflect <br />statewide interests. Utilizing <br />constitutional amendments to change <br />public policy circumvents this process. <br />Therefore, the League supports requiring <br />a supermajority vote (two-thirds in <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2016 City Policies Page 11 <br />