St. Joseph Requesting Sales Tax For Community Projects

(KNSI) — St. Joseph will ask the Minnesota Legislature for permission to go to voters for a local option sales tax to help pay for community projects.

The city council held a special meeting on Monday morning to propose a half-cent sales tax for 20 years to help fund four projects in the city.

The money would fund a new combined police and fire station for $15.5 million. Funds would also go to phase two of the Community Center/YMCA, which would include expanding the future facility with more pool space, larger courtyards, and other gathering areas for around $11 million and turning the 90 acres of East Side Park into a regional park along with making improvements to Mill Stream Park at the cost of $6 million. The last part of the tax would connect regional trials like the Lake Wobegon Trail with downtown for about $4.9 million.

The tax would bring in about a million dollars annually and would be collected until the bonds are paid off. The estimated cost of everything is $37.4 million. The rest of the money would come from fundraisers, donations or grants.

In an interview with KNSI, interim City Administrator Jeff O’Neil says using the sales tax option is “a great vehicle though to help share the expense with all the people that use them [the city] rather than just taxing the local population.” It is becoming a popular tactic to redevelop communities rather than rely solely on property taxes.

O’Neil explains what they want to do have been identified as a top priority by the city’s planning process. “These are all projects that are either identified in the capital improvement plan discussions or [have had] considerable study. And all of them are ones that are important to get done over time.”

Lawmakers have until the end of the session to approve the tax before the council can act on it. If they get the green light, the question would be on the ballot in the fall of 2024.

O’Neil says St. Joseph will release more details on each project in the future so voters can make an informed decision.

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