With the 2009 legislative session now in full swing, this week we got our first look at the Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s plan to balance our state budget. There are certainly things in his plan that I find encouraging, such as the additional funding for K-12 schools, but there are also things I am concerned about. What is clear, however, is that with a budget deficit of this size there can be no new money for anyone, or new tax cuts or credits, without something else being cut. These are the details we’ll have to consider as we move forward.

One of my concerns about the governor’s proposal is that he once again cuts local government aid to help balance the budget. This state funding is distributed to cities and townships based on need and past aid levels. Some communities rely on this funding for as much as 60 percent of their budget to pay for services such as road maintenance, police and fire departments, parks and lakes upkeep — all of the things that make our towns good and safe places to live.

LGA was cut in both 2003 and 2008 to help fill state budget deficits. City officials make adjustments by cutting back on some services, putting off improvement projects, and raising property taxes as a result of the lack of funding. In fact, property taxes statewide have increased by $3 billion since 2002, in part because of the cuts to LGA.

This week, LGA was once again targeted. If the governor’s current budget proposal passes, the city of Albert Lea will lose $1.7 million over the next two years. Needless to say, pulling this much money out of an already lean budget will be painful; property taxes could go up again, and we could lose many important services. There are already towns in Minnesota that can only afford to plow the streets after every other snowstorm. These additional cuts once again will create significant challenges for local governments.

I do like to hear the governor cite education as a top priority. He offered some new funding for schools, but because it is linked to performance, not every school will receive it. I certainly like to see schools that are succeeding get rewarded with more money, but what about the schools in our state who struggle to hit these marks? If we truly want every student in our state to succeed, additional funding should be available to every school.

The governor’s plan also includes a $1.3 billion shift in school funding. Shifts such as this are especially hard on districts that don’t have adequate reserves. Oftentimes, borrowing is their only option to be able to meet their obligations. Shifts also add to the total cost for schools. In this case, they can expect to pay 5 percent more as a result of getting delayed payments from the state.

As is the case every budget year, the governor’s proposal is only a starting point and I expect a lot to change between now and the time we pass the final budget. In February, members of the House and Senate will be traveling the state, including Albert Lea, to get ideas from citizens about how they believe this budget deficit should be solved. We’ll consider what we learn at those meetings as we craft our budget, as well as what we hear from testifiers in committees, the numbers House research provides for us, and any other input we get from the people who will be affected by this budget. We are all in this together, and it’s important that the final plan works for all of us.

As always, I am honored to serve. Please continue to be a part of the process by contacting me with your concerns and suggestions. I can be reached at 507-438-9086, or by e-mail at rep.robin.brown@house.mn..

Robin Brown, DFL-Moscow Township, is the state representative for District 27A.