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With the State of Minnesota facing a $5.2 billion budget deficit and Governor Pawlenty about to unallot $240 million from current appropriations, it seems the Minneapolis City Council doesn’t understand the difference between greenbacks (dollars) and green grass (turf). The Minneapolis City Council is on track to spend $5.3 million to install a green roof (grass) on the Target Center arena – home to the NBA’s Timberwolves. The proposed green roof would have living plants growing in a thin layer of soil placed on top of a waterproof membrane. This green roof according to consultants would cost twice as much as a conventional roof. Perhaps the Minneapolis City Council hasn’t heard that there is a budget crisis in Minnesota or maybe just maybe they don’t need the $41 million the City of Minneapolis receives in Local Government Aid from the State of Minnesota, i.e. taxpayers of Minnesota. Lots of good environmentalists will point out that it’s not about the greenbacks; it’s about doing the “right thing.”
But there is another economic factor in addition to the green roof costing twice as much as conventional roof. The Target Center is almost 20 years old, the reason why it needs a new roof. While the conventional roof is expected to last 15 to 20 years, the green roof could last as long as 40 years. But the issue is that the Timberwolves’ lease expires in 2025, around the average life expectancy of most professional arenas. So the greenies on the Minneapolis City Council want to put a $5.3 million, 40 year roof on an arena which will have no major tenant and likely have a date with a wrecking ball before their prairie plant roof becomes cost effective.
To illustrate how bizarre this Rubik’s Cube of city financing is, last year at the request of the City of Minneapolis, legislation was introduced at the State Capitol that would have had the State give Minneapolis $71 million to pay off the Target Center bonds. In the end, the request for $71 million in state funding was denied. But the question remains, if the City of Minneapolis can’t afford the bond payments on the Target Center, why do they think they can afford a $5.3 million roof?
This one picture of big city financing should be reason enough for Governor Pawlenty to zero out all Local Government Aid to cities. At a recent Senate Tax Committee meeting, city officials spoke of the dire straights the cities would face if reductions were made to local aid; cuts to police and fire agencies, along with other cuts to essential services. But no one mentioned the green roof for the Target Center.
Sure there are cities that budget responsibly, and small communities that lack the tax capacity to pay for some basic services. But hundreds of millions of dollars in state aid mask irresponsible spending by many city councils.
Property owners should know how their city council is spending their tax dollars and be willing to pay for the services they desire, without this relatively secret state slush fund. Almost half of the residents of Minnesota live in communities which receive no local government aid, and some cities receive more in state aid then they levy in property taxes. It’s time to level the playing field for all cities. It’s time to eliminate local government aid payments.
If city councils can’t understand the difference between greenbacks and green grass, it’s time to kick them off the state dole. And if residents have to pay more maybe city spending habits will change. |
