Posted: 1/9/07
New representative gets a wish list from county
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
More funding for roads and the sheriffís department, please.
And while youíre at it, stop passing costs down to the county.
Those were some of the comments that Minnesota House District 31B Representative Ken Tschumper heard at the January 2 Houston County Board meeting.
Tschumper, a DFLer, unseated 8-term representative Greg Davids in the November election.
County Engineer Marcus Evans said that some innovative ways to increase transportation funding would be great.
Tschumper said that transportation funding is a high priority. He predicted that legislators would find a solution to fix out-state roads. He said he "strongly supports a gas tax increase," and said it could be done in two or three stages. "Nobody likes tax increases but Iím supporting it," he said.
New county sheriff Doug Ely asked for better funding of sheriff departments. He said the state patrol gets the best of everything. "We truly run with second rate equipment," Ely said.
Tschumper responded that he wants to become a budget expert to see how money ends up or doesnít end up in local government.
Commissioner Larry Graf said that county levy increases have come largely from shifts in funding that started in 1996.
Tschumper agreed that that is a serious issue, and that there have been shifts of cost without any revenue.
He predicted that there would be a property tax relief bill passed in 60-100 days, as well as restoration of cuts to Local Government Aid.
A quarter of the members of the House are new, Tschumper said, and the members are serious about making quick changes in education, health care, and property taxes.
The budget forecast of a $1 billion surplus for 2007-2008 biennium is wrong, Tschumper said, because it doesnít factor in inflation. "Essentially the budget forecasts are flat," he said.
The budget surplus will also be reduced because of less income from tax of housing and automobile sales, Tschumper added.
There probably wonít be any new money to work with, he said. How to come up with money will be a big issue, Tschumper said.
Commissioner Ann Thompson said she hoped Democrats and Republicans could work together. "I hope that era may have passed a little bit and thereís be a lot more cooperation," she said.
House and Senate leaders Margaret Kelliher and Larry Pogemiller have emphasized that, Tschumper answered. He feels that was the message from the election.
But there is another election in two years, so legislators should avoid that division from happening again, Thompson said.
Tschumper said he is trying to get a refund to Fillmore and Houston Counties for the expense of driving ballots to St. Paul for a recount of his 52-vote win over Davids. This was the first time that a house recount wasnít done in the home counties, Tschumper said. He said he had tried to keep it in the county.
"Thatís another unfunded expense to the county," Graf said.
Tschumper was sworn in on January 3.
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