St. Cloud’s Proposed 2025 Budget; Key Discussions on Franchise Fee and Justice Center Relocation Up for Discussion at Monday’s St. Cloud City Council Meeting

(KNSI) — At Monday’s city council meeting, the public will get its first look at St. Cloud’s proposed 2025 budget.

St. Cloud has an $87.8 million budget for the current year. About 45% of the city’s funds come from property taxes, about 18% from local government aid approved by the Legislature, and the rest from other sources. The city council, administrators and the mayor will then meet on August 14th to discuss the plan. A public hearing will be held at the September 9th city council meeting. The budget will be posted to the city’s website shortly after it’s presented.

The council is expected to review a proposal to keep an increased franchise fee on Xcel Energy. The 3% fee was increased in 2017 to 4% to help prepare blighted sites in the city for development. Funds from the fee helped clear a substation from Cooper Avenue and Division Street, making the land more valuable on the tax roll. The money has also been used to help spur development on the east side and city hall. The extra tax would be in place until 2027.

Councilmember George Hontos’ request to discuss the proposed relocation of the Stearns County Justice Center is up for discussion. The county has announced its intentions to move the jail, sheriff’s office, courts and county attorney offices to a yet-to-be-named green space in the city. Hontos opposes the facility leaving downtown, fearing it will harm efforts to rebuild and revitalize the district. The item was held over from last month’s meeting.

The meeting starts Monday at 6:00 p.m.

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