A grassroots group in Owatonna is advocating for a $65 million public safety project to be put on the ballot.
The city has proposed new fire and police stations, with city council members unanimously approving a plan to fund them through homeowner taxes. Concerns have arisen over the cost and the proposed location for the police station on a historic property near City Hall.
Owatonna residents were signing the reverse referendum petition at Dartts Park, aiming to gather enough signatures to force a ballot referendum, per state law. This would allow the public to decide if the city council can issue up to $65 million in bonds. The council unanimously approved the property tax increase last week, prompting Mikayla Olson and Daniel Pridie to start collecting signatures.
“I think the biggest problem that we have now is that we’re not being asked about this,” said Olson. “We’re just being told… And then the tax hike that we’re going to get on the houses around here.”
Olson and Pridie support the project but oppose the cost and process. Olson said, “I just say, let the people vote. Let the voice of Owatonna be heard, and don’t get bullied by who is on the Council.”
Tax impact
The tax hike varies, but if the city spends the full $65 million, the owner of a $300,000 home would pay an estimated $35 more monthly or $419 annually, according to the city’s calculator.
“It’s sad to see that senior citizens who are on a fixed income that can’t, you know, who are making ends meet in ways that I couldn’t even imagine,” Olson said.
Nathan Dotson, an Owatonna City Council member, said, “You know, nothing is set in stone on this project yet. The cost, the locations are not necessarily set in stone. We still have time to make other decisions and other considerations.”
Dotson said the only things that are set in stone so far are that the city cannot exceed $65 million and that police and fire departments need new facilities soon. “We have a very old fire station. Our police station does not function nearly as well as it could, and so something needs to be done,” he said.
“Question is, how much do we have to spend to get that done for our current needs, as well as planning somewhat for the future without overdoing it.”
Dotson said there is potential to reduce costs, but the final cost remains an unknown ahead of the bidding process.
“We are currently working through a financial management plan, which I’m actually very hopeful we will realize some dollars that we simply haven’t utilized in the past that could help buy down the bond itself, as well as looking at the building design and just reevaluating what our needs are,” he said.
“I would hope we don’t have to get to that level, but that remains to be seen once we get the final bids, things like that. So there’s a lot of unknowns.”
Dotson said he supports bringing the issue to a vote and welcomes public interest. Petitioners have until April 2 to gather the necessary signatures.
