How Would You Spend Minnesota’s $1.2 Billion Surplus?

Minnesota political leaders in a month will decide what to do with $1.2 billion surplus.
 
One point nine billion is the full amount of the state’s surplus but $700 million automatically is put into the budget reserve fund.
 
A poll by the Star Tribune asked Minnesotans how the state’s surplus should be spent.

The poll finds that 31 percent want it to go towards roads and schools.

And another 30 percent want the money to be saved or refunded to taxpayers.
 
“It’s really not going to amount to all that much. I think 70 bucks or so for a family,” says Moorhead Representative Ben Lien.
 
If “Jesse checks” were to be issued, it probably wouldn’t be the payout Minnesotans were hoping for.

Lien says the biggest need is tax cuts.
 
Lien adds, “By really focusing that surplus on property tax relief is a really targeted way we can provide relief for Minnesotans.”
 
An organization believes that some of the surplus should go into helping fund long term health services, like group homes.
 
“We have problem keeping staff. We need those good staff to take care of our people,” says REM program director Theresa Alme.
 
Alme says workers at REM in North Dakota are getting paid about three to four dollars more than in Minnesota.

That’s enough for people to jump over to the other side of the river.

Raises are done by the state but group homes fall in the shadow of other home care services.

But that’s something Senator Kent Eken is hoping to change in the future.
 
“So I’m trying to make sure we pay those workers adequately so we don’t have the loss of the staffing that we’ve seen and the turnover rates in the staffing, which really is detrimental to the quality of care that’s being provided. Stability is really important to those receiving those services,” says Eken.
 
Eken is putting this on his radar to avoid losing workforce in a service that he believes will become high in demand one day.

But the group homes we spoke to want to see the change soon than later.
 
“I mean even resources. If we had more resources for the people we take care of out in the community. Things for them to do. It would help out a lot,” says Alme.
 
Governor Dayton  is expected to announce his plan for the state’s surplus at this year’s legislative session on March 8th.