In Petersburg updates Owatonna City Council on legislative issues, the Owatonna Peoples Press reports that state representative John Petersburg (R-Waseca) had kind words for legislation that provide more Local Government Aid (LGA) for the Steele County city:
Some good things happened during the legislative session for the City of Owatonna, but there is still work to be done.
That was the message that Rep. John Petersburg had for the Owatonna City Council at a brief update during Tuesday night’s meeting.
During his address to the Council, Petersburg, R-Waseca, talked about some wins for the city, which included the increase to Local Government Aid from the state. Last week, city officials announced that Owatonna will see an increase of more than $780,000 in aid funding in 2014. Aid had been frozen since 2010.
“There was approximately $80 million more put into that line item,” Petersburg said. “It’s a benefit to cities that really need the help with infrastructure to be able to stay in more equitable footing with some of the larger cities.”
What the OPP doesn't mention to readers is that Petersburg voted against HF677--the omnibus tax bill containing the language triggering the LGA increase for Owatonna--or why LGA was frozen since 2010, and by whom.
Perhaps he didn't bring that up while talking to the council.
Nor was Petersburg a co-sponsor of the stand-alone (and bipartisan) HF 1608 LGA reform bill introduced by fellow freshman class representative Ben Lien (DFL-Moorhead).
Other than that, Petersburg should be happy to share news of the LGA increases with local city councils.
Photo: John Petersburg, with his hand in his own pocket on the House floor, via his Facebook page.
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He was against it before he was for it. And shame on the OPP (or even members of their council) for not calling him out on that vote.
Posted by: Mike Worcester | Jun 06, 2013 at 04:37 PM