Two Ballot Questions Seek Tax Hikes In St. Cloud

(KNSI) – There are two ballot questions for St. Cloud residents when they go to the polls this election.

The first involves a half-percent sales tax hike for improvements at the Municipal Athletic Complex. Mayor Dave Kleis spoke with Dan ‘The Ox’ Ochsner last week and explained why a sales tax makes sense in this case.

“I mean I was just there for the 50th anniversary Saturday. A lot of people there that weren’t from St Cloud that were there skating. You know, St Ben’s was having a hockey game that day, and then of course our amateur hockey team here. So, you had a lot of folks skating and you know St Benedict center…I mean that’s in St. Joe.”

The tax would remain in effect until $21 million is raised. The state has already agreed to chip in $10 million for renovations to the ice rink and baseball fields if it is matched at the local level.

The second ballot question for St. Cloud voters involves raising property taxes to pay for $20 million in city park improvements. Kleis said there are opportunities to leverage the funds into something more.

“Think of all the parks that we have that are called Lions Park, Kiwanis Park, Optimist, Rotary Park, Jaycees park. All those parks were put in with private dollars but they’re usually there to match, so you got to have a match of some sort. So the property tax would be that match.”

Kleis says the city council has the authority to authorize the expenditures itself but he wants residents to be able to weigh in on the plan and have their say on a potential tax rate hike.

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