Minnesota Association of Small Cities'
2024 State Legislative Priorities 

Distribution of new revenues passed by the 2023 Legislature for the Small Cities Assistance account will now be delayed one year, according to MnDOT. MN Small Cities, therefore, seeks a $20 Million one-time appropriation to adjust for this delay. 

Additionally, we support investing over $60 million in LRIP funds in any bonding bill.

EMS

The EMSRB released data that shows EMS services statewide are losing over $120 million dollars due to underpayment from insurance and volunteer service hours. MN Small Cities supports emergency funding to cover this shortfall while also working on longer-term solutions to address issues within the EMS service model.

MN Small Cities has a representative on the working group who is watching closely what proposals come out, if any. MN Small Cities will advocate for the small, publicly run Ambulance Services and support additional funding to close financial gaps that currently exist. 

ZONING PREEMPTION

MN Small Cities opposes efforts to limit or restrict local authority on issues such as housing, business expansion, and transportation requirements. Local elected officials work closely with their communities to establish policies that fit the needs and desires of the community and we should not impose a one-size-fits-all approach. 

CITY AUDITS

The number of available CPAs for audits is becoming more scarce and as a result, small cities are increasingly facing growing costs and difficulty in finding/scheduling services. MN Small Cities supports raising audit thresholds and allowing greater flexibility in auditing reporting dates and requirements, without sacrificing transparency.

WATER/WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

MN Small Cities expects a significant investment in PFA funding programs for water projects in the final 2024 Bonding Bill. Additionally, small cities seek increased flexibility in getting staff certified and trained as system operators.

BROADBAND

Working with DEED, MN Small Cities supports an implementation plan that will get more projects funded and one that addresses the issue of small cities having reduced connectivity compared to their surrounding areas.

WORKFORCE HOUSING

Small cities’ needs in this area are mostly focused on workforce housing shortages.  We support efforts to create housing finance options that will allow smaller cities to tackle these issues and create more opportunities to provide enough available housing for their workforce.

CANNABIS

MN Small Cities supports greater clarity on licensing, retail regulations and options for municipal sales. We continue to 
monitor the roll out of the OCM and watch to see if anything “new” or adverse to small cities arises during the process.

AUTONOMY & LOCAL CONTROL

MN Small Cities is determined to protect the ability of city leaders to make decisions in the best interest of their own communities. Supporting the authority of elected officials is one of the organization's paramount goals.

We will also work to guard against the exclusion of smaller cities/greater MN from access to programs as well as "scope creep" of larger cities gaining access to programs originally created for small cities.