Minneapolis residents may vote on a sales-tax increase to help pay for public safety, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. A majority of the City Council expressed willingness last week to ask the Legislature for the authority to raise the sales tax to 7.5 percent. The city already has a half-cent sales tax on top of the state’s 6.5 percent tax. The city portion goes to the convention center. The additional half-cent would raise about $27 million a year for public safety.
Many business leaders oppose the proposal because of concerns about competitiveness in the region.
Council member Don Samuels talked about the indifference of state leadership to “the common person on the street” and the need for the council to “hold up the dead bodies to the Legislature and say, ‘See what you caused.’ ” Some officials say Minneapolis is a special case among cities because it provides safety not just for residents but also for workers who flood downtown during the day and visitors who come for entertainment at night.