MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Minneapolis Delegation
For immediate release June 28, 2001
MINNEAPOLIS DELEGATION BLASTS HOUSE REPUBLICANS FOR ELIMINATION OF FUNDING FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROGRAM
Minneapolis legislators decry the strangling of the funding source for the
Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) as another example of the session-long
attack by House Republicans on the interests of Minneapolis, its residents and its
neighborhoods. Minneapolis legislators are united in agreeing that NRP has helped
revitalize aging neighborhoods in our city.
The NRP has made this city more liveable and helped restore the pride
residents have in the neighborhoods in which they live. It has helped revitalize
retail corridors and strengthened many of the small businesses that provide vitality
to our neighborhoods. It has made all of our city's diverse neighborhoods more
attractive by providing exterior improvement loans to small businesses and homeowners.
It has assisted in needed improvements to our parks and recreation programming. It
has provided much-needed affordable housing and helped less affluent homeowners
increase the value of their homes through grants and micro-loans for improvements. It
has improved streetscapes and installed new attractive lighting on many of the city's
streets. It has helped many seniors and others on fixed incomes maintain their homes.
Most importantly, it has engaged the residents of Minneapolis and encouraged
them to be involved in the life of their neighborhoods and the city.
We believe the vitality of our city depends more on the health of the many
small businesses and neighborhoods helped by the NRP than the corporate behemoths that
will benefit most from the property tax relief championed by House Republicans.
In an attempt to salvage NRP, at least in the short term until alternatives
could be devised, Minneapolis legislators offered two amendments to the tax bill. The
first would have released $58 million already collected and earmarked for the program.
The amendment was voted down by the anti-Minneapolis Republicans, and, incredibly,
those funds will remain sitting in the bank for eight years, unable to be used for
NRP. The second would have allowed the NRP to be eligible for the $205 million pool
that was created to pay for TIF (Tax Increment Financing) programs already on the
books. Again, that amendment was voted down.
Because both of the amendments were defeated, the city of Minneapolis will
have to shoulder much of the responsibility for keeping the NRP going. We pledge to
work closely with city leaders to find creative ways to maintain the funding level for
this crucial program.
Minneapolis has a reputation of being one of America's most liveable cities
and NRP is a big reason why. That's why it's so important we keep this proven program
going.
-30-
State Representative Joe Mullery, District 58A 651/296-4262
State Representative Gregory Gray, District 58B 651/296-8659
State Representative Len Biernat, District 59A 651/296-4219
State Representative Phyllis Kahn, District 59B 651/296-4259
State Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher, District 60A 651/296-0171
State Representative Scott Dibble, District 60B 651/296-9281
State Representative Karen Clark, District 61A 651/296-0294
State Representative Neva Walker, District 61B 651/296-7152
State Representative Jim Davnie, District 62A 651/296-0173
State Representative Wes Skoglund, District 62B 651/296-4330
State Representative Jean Wagenius, District 63A 651/296-4200
State Representative Mark Gleason, District 63B 651/296-5375
D. Scott Dibble
State Representative-District 60B, SW Minneapolis
State Office Building, Room 369
100 Constitution Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-9281
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