News

Battle over Minnesota Legacy dollars heating up again

Photo: Oksana Mitiukhina, Photos.com

Aug 13, 2012 at 8:00 am

ST. CLOUD, MN (AP) - The battle between Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities over state funding for parks and trails is heating up again.

At stake is about $40 million annually from Minnesota Legacy Amendment funds that are divided among Twin Cities parks, state parks and regional parks in Greater Minnesota.

Earlier this year, 10 Twin Cities agencies passed a resolution calling the current split unfair. In response, cities and counties in Greater Minnesota have passed their own resolutions calling for an even greater share.

The St. Cloud Times (http://on.sctimes.com/MSFzMr) reports it's likely to be a contentious issue that spills into next year's legislative session.

Republican state Sen. John Pederson of St. Cloud says metro residents have ''an abundance of parks,'' while ''a lot of catch-up'' needs to be done in Greater Minnesota.