Minnesota budget officials report the 20-day government shutdown in July cost the state nearly $60 million, and local legislators are looking to avoid a similar situation in the future.

“We should have never gotten to that stage where we had a shutdown,” said Rep. Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea. “We’ve got to work awful hard in the upcoming session to make sure that never happens again.”

Although the shutdown cost nearly $60 million, that cost was slightly offset by the $65 million in salaries that weren’t paid to 22,000 state employees, according to budget officials. The report issued Tuesday says Minnesota lost almost $50 million in revenue. It estimated preparation costs at about $7 million and recovery costs at $3 million, and said those costs could rise.

The shutdown came after Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative majorities couldn’t agree on how to close a $5 billion budget shortfall.

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, said the shutdown affected thousands of lives for 20 days and legislators need to ensure the government doesn’t get to that point again.

Murray said the key to working more efficiently is to work together in a smarter fashion. If legislators don’t start compromising, voters are going to elect new lawmakers, he said.

“I think somebody better figure out how to (work together) before the electorate votes in new people and starts over. This is just crazy,” Murray said. “From what I’ve seen and learned in my first year here, (the Legislature) is a pretty dysfunctional group that has got to start putting the interests and needs of everyone in Minnesota ahead of their own personal, political agenda.”

Sparks agreed, saying the general public is fed up with the government’s inability to compromise.

“It was very unfortunate that the shutdown ever had to take place,” he said. “I’m hopeful we’ll never have to go through that again in the future.”