16-11180r RESOLUTION NO. 11180
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING DEDICATED STATE FUNDING FOR CITY STREETS
WHEREAS, Minnesota contains over 141,000 miles of roadway, and over 19,000 miles
—or 13 percent—are owned and maintained by Minnesota's 853 cities; and
WHEREAS, over 80 percent of municipal streets are ineligible for dedicated Highway
User Tax Distribution Fund dollars; and
WHEREAS, city streets are a separate but integral piece of the network of roads
supporting movement of people and goods; and
WHEREAS, existing funding mechanisms, such as Municipal State Aid (MSA), property
taxes and special assessments, have limited applications, leaving cities under-equipped to
address growing needs; and
WHEREAS, city cost participation in state and county highway projects diverts resources
for city-owned streets; and
WHEREAS, maintenance costs increase as road systems age, and no city—large or
small— is spending enough on roadway capital improvements to maintain a 50-year lifecycle;
and
WHEREAS, for every dollar spent on maintenance, a road authority—and therefore
taxpayers—save seven dollars in repairs; and
WHEREAS, cities need greater resources, including an additional dedicated state
funding source for transportation, and flexible policies in order to meet growing demands for
street improvements and maintenance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Richfield,
Minnesota, that the City Council of the City of Richfield supports an omnibus transportation
funding bill that provides additional dedicated state funding for city streets including funding that
can be used for non-MSA city street maintenance, construction, and reconstruction.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 9th day of February,
2016.
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Debbie Goettel, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Elizabeth VanHoose, City Clerk