Major Proposal By Governor Dayton

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Minnesota residents may see an increase in gas taxes and license fees.

Part of Governor Dayton’s ten year proposal is to improve roads and bridges but funding will be coming out of your pockets.

Roads around town are falling apart, they are full of cracks and potholes.

A new proposal could provide Moorhead with an additional $600,000 to fix those problems.

But, this would require an increase in license fees and a jump of 16 cents in the gas tax.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said,”Roads bridges, and public transits, is only going to increase and if it’s insufficient now it’s going to get older, the capacity is going to be less relative to the need so the one guarantee is it’s going to get worse unless we make it better.”
 
Supports of the governor’s proposal say it’s a step in the right direction.
 
Jason Ehlert of the Union of Painters & Allied Trades said, “It’s essential, no one really likes having their taxes raised, but no one really wants a bridge falling down underneath them.”
 
Funding for rail safety is another part of the proposal. If passed it could even help pay for an underpass here on Main Avenue and 20th and 21st Street.
 
The governor wants a new tax and assessments on the four major railroad companies to help pay for improved rail safety.
 
State Representative  Paul Marquart said, “All those dollars would go to fund those intersections and also to fund those emergency personal and first responders.”
 
But will this proposal pass? It’s still up in the air but will be decided by the state legislature in the next few months.

The proposal would give Moorhead over $75,000 every year from the railroads, for the next decade.