State Money for Improvements to the MAC Still Available Following Failed Referendum

(KNSI) — Now that voters rejected a measure to raise $21.1 million with a .5% sales tax to match $10 million from the state to make improvements to the Municipal Athletic Complex, city officials say the state money isn’t off the table.

The funding is contingent on the city getting the dollars to match. St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis says they were always planning to fundraise but also counting on tax dollars for the project. Kleis says they’ll ask lawmakers if there is a possibility of letting the city have the money anyway. “They’ve already allocated the dollars, so that is there. If we could utilize some of those dollars without that match, that gives us a longer period of time to do fundraising and scale [the project] back.”

He says areas of the MAC are in dire need of improvements, including making the buildings fully ADA compliant and addressing flooding problems at Dick Putz Field, which, if granted, is where the money would go.

The city has four years to match the money from when it was earmarked. Lawmakers allocated the funds in October 2020.

One thing the mayor is against is holding a special election or forcing it down voters’ throats. “With the referendum on the sales tax not passing, the voters have spoken. Voters make that decision. I don’t think bringing it back for a special election is the right principal thing to do. And so, we need to respect the wishes of the voters.”

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