St. Paul council president: Tax-exempt groups should help close budget gap

Universities, hospitals, larger nonprofits and religious establishments in St. Paul are tax-exempt but they should still kick in money to “pay their fair share” as the city struggles with a looming $26 million budget gap, City Council President Rebecca Noecker told MPR News.

A “payment in lieu of taxes program” is “something we've talked about for a long time,” she told Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer. “I think this year we need to look at it with particular urgency.”

Noecker said the city is taking concerns about affordability seriously and she’s in line with the Mayor Kaohly Her’s directive to focus on the basics.

“We need to take care of the things that no one else can do first, so that's public safety, that's street maintenance, that's filling those potholes, that's trimming our trees, that's our parks and libraries,” Noecker said.

Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player button above.

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