From bridges to water pipes, federal funding bill cuts hundreds of millions for projects across Minnesota
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Local governments around Minnesota are working to plug budget holes after President Donald Trump signed a funding bill that ended the threat of a government shutdown, but eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in local earmarks slated for communities around the state.
Among the dozens of projects impacted are fire station improvements in Spring Grove and Cold Spring; water infrastructure improvements in a host of communities, including Big Lake, Manchester, Bloomington and Ely; an air traffic control tower at the Mankato Regional Airport; flood mitigation in Sartell and Carver, and road construction in St. Cloud, Waconia, Hanover and several other cities.
In Duluth, the city lost $500,000 in federal funding allocated for repairs to the Aerial Lift Bridge, and $1 million for the city’s water treatment plant that pulls water from Lake Superior and serves about 135,000 people in Duluth and surrounding communities.
The city has entered into a federal consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete a host of repairs at the plant, from replacing corroded pipes to building a new roof. Together the fixes will cost about $44 million.
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“Any dollars that we’re able to get in partnership from the state or federal government just helps ease the burden on the users of the water system,” said Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert, who added the city will work with local legislators for state funding to help pay for the work.
Reinert said he’s received assurances from federal officials that the city will still receive $11.2 million in federal funding approved earlier this year for repairs to the deteriorating lift bridge in the city’s Canal Park district.
“Both of these projects must happen,” said Reinert. “They are classic local infrastructure. One is a bridge. It’s a public safety issue. It connects Park Point to the rest of the city, but is also an iconic Minnesota landmark. And the other is safe, clean drinking water.”
Reinert sees the federal cuts as a prelude to a tough budget year for local governments across Minnesota, which is contending with a future budget deficit.
The cuts to projects in Duluth and elsewhere in Minnesota are among $13 billion in earmarks that were trimmed from the federal budget as part of the “continuing resolution” approved by Congress last week and signed by Trump on Saturday, which keeps the government funded for another six months.
Ten Democratic members of the U.S. Senate allowed the bill to advance, over objections from many party members, including Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, who cited the funding for local projects as one of her reasons for opposing the measure.
“It fails to pay for disaster relief or fund hundreds of millions of dollars for important community projects for Minnesota, from child care centers in Moorhead to public safety investments for Rochester and supporting rural health care on the Iron Range,” said Smith.