Rice County Commissioner Galen Malecha voices support for County Sales Tax Referendum
The new Rice County Public Safety Center is set to open on schedule this fall and the Rice County Board of Commissioners is giving voters a choice in how to pay for the facility. Earlier this month the Board of Commissioners approved a referendum that would implement a sales tax of 0.375% in Rice County to pay for the debt acquired from the project. The funds from the sales tax can only be used to pay off the safety center debt and would sunset when paid off. The sales tax would not affect essentials like groceries, medication, baby products, clothing and motor vehicles.
Currently, the property tax levy is the way that the county is paying for the Public Safety Center, by implementing a sales tax the county would avoid having to raise property taxes. Here’s Rice County Commissioner Galena Malecha:
If it’s not the sales tax, it would be put on your property tax. So we’ve already bonded. We have the money to pay for the jail. What the 0.375 cents would do is pay those bonds for 30 years. Otherwise it’s on the property tax for 30 years.
By implementing a sales tax non Rice County residents, like visitors to the colleges in Northfield or DJJD tourists, will also contribute to the sales tax. Rice County estimates that about 33% of the tax would be contributed to by non Rice County residents. Malecha voiced his support for the referendum:
I can’t tell anybody how to vote right that they have to choose on their own, but I myself am going to be voting in favor of it because it takes it off the property tax. If you’re not a high user of good, you won’t be paying a lot.
(Rice County Commissioner, Galen Malecha)
When construction is complete this fall the safety center will be open to the public for tours, after which the Minnesota Department of Corrections will give the final approval to open the facility.
To learn more about the referendum, visit Ricecountymn.gov and click on the button on their home page. The referendum will be on the general election ballot, on November 5th.
Northfield Comprehensive Plan continues with discussions about Transportation and Land Use
The City of Northfield is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan. The plan is a 20-year guidebook for Northfield and helps provide a strategy for city zoning, capital projects, and the long-term budget. The plan is created by a Steering Committee made up of local residents from a variety of different backgrounds including business owners, students, and non-profit leaders, the committee then works with city staff to create the plan.
Currently, the steering committee is focused on Chapter 1 of the Comprehensive Plan, which focuses on transportation and lan use. The committee is deciding which areas of Northfield should development be focused on. Community feedback has shown that residents want downtown to be the main hub of Northfield as the place residents shop, eat, and visit. Steering Committee Chair Betsey Buckheit said that continuing to “make sure downtown thrives is going to be a priority.”
Buckheit also sees the area along the Highway 3 corridor as a possibility for future development, citing the Target parking lot as one example:
You know, a credit union and other kinds of things start filling in the parking that wasn’t needed, except maybe on Christmas Eve. Right? So so thinking more about how we intensify or add more things in some of those low, low slung, widely spread out buildings to be able to.
Make it easier for people to do more again in a smaller area, but also you know in the tax tax world, if you put more value in a smaller space that helps Northfield pay its bills and develops a lot more tax base per acre.
There are several more chapters the committee is reviewing in the plan, including likely a housing chapter, a climate and sustainability chapter, and other city services chapter. The Steering Committee will continue to meet during the fall, providing feedback to City Staff and consultants. By the end of the year the committee is hoping to adopt a final plan to provide to the City Council.
You can listen to all of Buckheits full interview here.
Northfield’s 7th Annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration set for September 14th
Organizers have announced Northfiel’s 7th Annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration. This celebration of Latin and Hispanic Culture will be held on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month in Central Park, and is open to all members of the community.
As always there will be vendors and exhibitors throughout the day, along with live music, dancing, entertainment, arts, crafts, kid’s activities, a pet costume contest and authentic Latin food. A Zumba class will begin the day at 9:30am. The festival officially begins at 11am with a parade of flags.
The Alma Andina Band will headline the live entertainment this year, but the stage will be active all day with folk dance troupes and other musical acts, including the Northfield Youth Choir. Food vendors this year will include over 8 different food vendors from around the local area.
Seating will be available thanks to Age-Friendly Northfield’s Red Chair Project.
The Hispanic heritage Celebration is set for Saturday, September 14 from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm in Central Park. For more information, visit the Hispanic Celebration page on the Northfield Public library’s website at mynpl.org.
Logan Wells is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at: Logan@kymnradio.net
