Sartell Pushes Forward With Infrastructure Funding Despite Setback

(KNSI) – While Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum had hoped to receive state money to help pay for some much-needed infrastructure improvements, it appears those plans did not come to fruition.

Sartell had requested $22.7 million to fix roads connected to its healthcare hub, including Leander and LeSauk Drives, areas that Fitzthum said regularly receive heavy foot traffic. Sartell had previously received $5.5 million for these improvements several years back, with the requested amount being the remaining balance to fix the roads.

The Minnesota Legislature had visited Sartell the previous fall as part of its bonding tour, with the planned improvements being included in the governor’s 2026 bonding and budget proposal. However, the money ultimately went toward other Twin Cities-based projects.

Despite this, Fitzthum said the setback does not necessarily put Sartell in a bad spot; rather, it allows the city to look locally for funding. The remaining amount, he said, will likely come from the city’s $40 million infrastructure plan, which will be spread out between 2027 and 2034.

“What it simply means is that we’ll need to do that out of our own pockets versus obtaining state funding,” Fitzthum said. “It’s a very broad regional project, which is the main reason why we continue to go to state-level funding. But it does mean that it can still happen.”

Fitzthum added that the planned construction efforts, as well as other projects included in the plan, will not raise residents’ taxes. The city, he said, will also work closely with any new state senators after the election to understand the impact of the improvements on Sartell and the greater central Minnesota region.

“We continue to hear from medical companies and developers interested in this space on a weekly basis,” said Fitzthum. “There’s high demand for this area, and we need to make sure that our infrastructure is built out and shovel-ready so that this buildup can happen.”

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