Hermantown Arena, Rice Lake Infrastructure, and Proctor Local Sales Tax Option all approved at end of Legislative Session
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL—Hermantown) announced Monday evening that he secured $52,911,431 for Hermantown, Proctor and Rice Lake in the fiscal year 2024-2025 state budget.
“I’m proud to deliver $7.45 Million for the Hermantown Arena expansion project. I first got involved in the Hermantown Community Recreation Initiative as a volunteer, and it has been a privilege to see this project get the critical funding it needs to come to completion during my first legislative session,” said Hauschild. “This arena will support our children and community with more access to ice time and allow our community to host tournaments with a big economic impact for local businesses.”
Senator Hauschild also supported $1.8 Million in infrastructure funding for Rice Lake, as well as a Local Sales Tax Option for the city of Proctor which will require support from the community via referendum.
The Northland Senator said he secured funding for the following infrastructure projects:
- $4 Million for Natural Resource Research Institute (NRRI) for mining and environmental research in Hermantown
- $15 Million for a renewable energy transmission line from North Dakota wind farms to Hermantown
- $2 Million grant to St. Louis County to keep PFAS pollution out of Lake Superior
- $7,475,000 bond for Hermantown hockey facility expansion
- $1,800,000 bond for Rice Lake water, sewer and utilities extension
As the only freshman member of the Taxes Committee, Hauschild worked diligently and in a bipartisan fashion to secure increased levels of County Program Aid (CPA), Local Government Aid (LGA), Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), and public safety funding in an effort to reduce property taxes for hardworking Minnesotans.
- St. Louis County CPA: $17, 548,243 ($4,121,720 increase)
- City of Hermantown LGA: $315,875 ($315,139 increase)
- City of Proctor LGA: $1,208,235 ($100,830 increase)
- Rice Lake LGA: $680,008 ($99,001 increase)
- St. Louis County PILT: $2,130,167 increase
- Hermantown Public Safety Aid: $ 438,916
- Proctor Public Safety Aid: $135,526
- Rice Lake Public Safety Aid: $ 179,461
- St. Louis County Public Safety Aid: $ 3,423,415
Hauschild added that he authored and passed a bill to rename the St. Louis County Environmental Trust fund the “Mary Murphy Environmental Trust Fund” after Former Representative Mary Murphy, the longest-serving female state representative in Minnesota history.
Photo courtesy of Senate Media. Description: Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL–Hermantown) smiles for a photo during the Governor’s signing ceremony for his bill extending unemployment insurance benefits for Northshore Miners in early 2023.
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