Election Day is less than a week away. Roseville voters will consider whether to pass a half-cent local sales tax to finance a new Public Works and Parks Operations Facility for $64.2 million and a License and Passport Center for $12.7 million.
Here are the top 6 most frequently asked questions about the local sales tax referendum.
1. What’s the problem with the existing city buildings?
The current Public Works and Parks Operations Facility is outdated and too small to maintain and store the more than 300 vehicles needed to run the city. That includes snowplows, street sweepers, firetrucks, and police cruisers. Portions of the existing building date back to the 1950s. The cramped quarters means some city vehicles are stored offsite, which delays response times.
The License and Passport Center, one of the busiest in the state, offers only half the space needed to deliver services efficiently. With license and passport centers closing in nearby cities, the demand for services at the Roseville center is expected to surge over the next few years, but the current building lacks the space needed to support a growing customer base.
2. Why use a sales tax to pay for this project?
The City Council chose a sales tax because it would spread the cost among residents and visitors who make purchases in the city and benefit from city services. If approved, 64% of the tax would be paid by nonresidents according to an independent analysis by the University of Minnesota. Roseville is a regional shopping destination. It ranked #4 in taxable revenue in the state, according to recent state data, only behind Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Bloomington.
Residents will pay the sales tax but for most Roseville households, the sales tax will be substantially less than adding the cost of the project to the property tax, according to a U of M study.
3. How will the new buildings support essential city services?
The new Public Works and Parks Operations Facility would serve as a more efficient, centralized hub for essential city services, including water distribution systems, road work, snow removal, and critical maintenance of the city’s 32 parks. At three times the size of the current facility, the new operations building would feature updated fuel and security systems, more space for repair and storage of large vehicles and equipment, and multipurpose spaces that are designed for efficiency, energy savings, and expanding maintenance needs across the city.
The new License and Passport Center would support more efficient passport and licensing operations for thousands of city residents and other Minnesotans. At nearly two times the amount of space at the current facility, the new License and Passport Center allows for expanded operations support, front-counter service space, and sufficient separation between the different aspects of operations as required by federal regulators.
4. Will this sales tax raise my winter heating bill?
No. Natural gas or electricity sold to metered customers for their primary source of residential heat is not taxable during the six coldest months. Source: Minnesota Department of Revenue.
The local sales tax would have the same exemptions for purchases as the state sales tax. Sales tax wouldn’t be collected on groceries, clothing, prescription and over-the-counter medications, baby products, feminine hygiene products, and winter heating bills.
5. How did city leaders select the site for the new building?
The new Public Works and Parks Operations Facility will be located at the northwest corner of Lexington Avenue and Woodhill Drive, where the VFW, Veteran’s Park, and Lexington Shoppes are currently situated. *With the exception of the VFW, the city already owns this property, resulting in overall cost savings for this project.
The new License and Passport Center will be located across the street from the new Public Works and Parks Operations Facility, at the southwest corner of Lexington Ave and Woodhill Drive.
The VFW will be relocated to a new building next door to the new License and Passport Center. This arrangement allows for project phasing that will keep the VFW in continuous operations, with dedicated parking and outdoor green space.
6. What about parks space?
Veteran’s Park will be closed to make way for construction of the larger Public Works and Parks Operations Facility. The current programs operating out of the park, including youth softball, senior softball, and fall soccer, will need to be relocated potentially to one of the city’s other 32 parks. The city is speaking with the Roseville School Board to explore options for developing existing, underutilized green space owned by the district. (8,20,24 Joint City of Roseville District 623 Board Meeting)
Shifting the maintenance center to the north side of Woodhill Drive allows for an expanded public green space in the heart of the city’s civic campus.
*Previously published without the opening sentence "With the exception of the VFW," by error.