What is LGA for?
The disagreements arise from different perceptions of LGA and how it should be used. LGA is “used for property tax relief and an equalization basis,” said Steve Peterson — senior adviser at St. Paul-based Flaherty & Hood, a firm that works for the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. That’s a technical definition for an issue that has a whole bagful of devils in the details. Dan Kaiser, Republican candidate for state Representative District 26B, said LGA has strayed from its original aim of helping cities provide cores services that they otherwise wouldn’t have had the resources to do. That’s a complaint Emmer echoed. Although he stressed that he doesn’t plan on cutting LGA, as his critics charge, he said it should be used primarily for police and fire — although he added that sewer and water infrastructure could also be included. Instead, Minneapolis council members accepted raises at the same time the city was cutting police and how St. Paul is writing poetry on its sidewalk even t
