The Voice of Rural Counties

MRC 2023 Legislative Priorities

County Program Aid

• MRC supports increasing County Program Aid funds to address historic funding shortages, keep pace with inflationary costs, and recognize the impact of state mandates on county property tax levies.

Transportation Funding

• MRC supports long term, sustainable transportation funding with increases to dedicated Highway User Tax Distribution Fund (HUTDF) revenues such as the gas tax, vehicle registration fees, motor vehicle sales tax, and the sales tax on auto repair parts. Additionally, MRC supports a significant capital bonding bill with funding for transportation related programs including the Local Road Improvement Program, the Local Bridge Replacement Program, and the Local Road Wetland Replacement Program.

Rural Broadband Funding

• MRC supports adequate funding for broadband infrastructure development in rural counties. Further, MRC supports identifying and implementing actions to achieve by 2026 the goal of statewide deployment of advanced broadband networks and symmetrical high-speed capacity.
• MRC supports funding for both the Office of Broadband Development within the Department of Employment and Economic Development and continued funding for the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Fund.

Drainage Authority and Public Notice of Drainage Work

• MRC supports drainage law that ensures the ability of counties to maintain drainage systems.
• MRC supports counties adhering to the requirement for public notice of drainage work and hearings according to Minn. Stat. §103E and the Minnesota Drainage Manual. Any updates or modernization of these requirements should not add to count or system costs, or impact timely maintenance and system repairs.