Real City Spending Down Since 2006

by | Jan 5, 2017

Total Minnesota city revenues—adjusted for inflation—have declined by six percent from 2006 to 2015, based on data from the recently released Minnesota City Finances report from the Office of the State Auditor (OSA), as summarized in the preceding North Star article....

Real City Revenues Drop Over the Decade

by | Jan 4, 2017

Despite significant population growth, the inflation-adjusted revenue of all Minnesota cities has declined by six percent from 2006 to 2015. However, the decline is not spread evenly across all revenue categories. Property taxes climbed significantly over the decade,...

Smart Fiscal Management Contributed to Surplus

by | Dec 22, 2016

The November 2016 state economic forecast projected an official general fund surplus of $678 million in the current biennium and a $1.4 billion surplus for the upcoming FY 2018-19 biennium, as noted in a recent North Star article. The presence of surpluses is a...

Minnesota Tuition Hikes Surpass U.S. Average Since 2000

by | Dec 20, 2016

State support for higher education in Minnesota has declined over the course of the 21st century and—as a result—tuition has skyrocketed, as demonstrated in part one and part two of this series. While these trends are not unique to Minnesota, the decline of state...

Declining State Aid Translates into Soaring Tuition

by | Dec 15, 2016

State support for higher education declined by over 40 percent from fiscal year (FY) 2000 to 2015, after adjusting for inflation and changes in enrollment, as reported in the first part of this series. However, the burden of state funding cuts did not fall so much on...