Agenda - Council - 01/24/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Municipal Revenue & Taxation 1-1 Metropolitan Area Fiscal Disparities Program The Metropolitan Area Fiscal Disparities Program, enacted in 1971, was created for the purposes of: • providing a way for local governments to share in the resources generated by the growth of the metropolitan area without removing existing resources; • promoting orderly development of the region by reducing the impact of fiscal considerations on the location of business and infrastructure; • establishing incentives for all parts of the area to work for the growth of the area as a whole; • helping communities at various stages of development; and • encouraging protection of the environment by reducing the impact of fiscal considerations to ensure protection of parks, open space and wetlands. Metro Cities supports the Fiscal Disparities Program. Metro Cities opposes any diversion from the fiscal disparities pool to fund specific programs or projects as this would contradict the purposes of the program. Metro Cities recognizes that laws enacted in the 2013 legislative session to assist the expansion for the Mall of America were not in accordance with Metro Cities' legislative policy on fiscal disparities. This law should not serve as a precedent for future legislative action with respect to funding specific projects or programs out of the fiscal disparities pool. Legislation that would modify or impact the fiscal disparities program should only be considered within a framework of comprehensive reform efforts of the state's property tax, aids and credits system. Any proposed legislation that would modify or impact the fiscal disparities program must be evaluated utilizing the criteria of fairness, equity, stability, transparency and coherence in the treatment of cities and taxpayers across the metropolitan region, and must continue to serve the program's intended purposes. Metro Cities opposes legislation that would allow for capturing and pooling growth in residential tax capacity to fund specific programs or objectives. Further studies or task forces to consider modifications to the fiscal disparities program must include participation and input from metropolitan local government representatives. 1-J Constitutional Tax and Expenditure Limits Metro Cities strongly opposes including tax and expenditure limits in the state constitution. This would eliminate any flexibility on the part of the Legislature or local governments to respond to unanticipated critical needs, emergencies, or fluctuating economic situations. When services such as education, public safety and health care require increased funding beyond the overall limit, experiences in at least one other state indicate that other publicly funded services receive less than adequate 2017 Legislative Policies 5