Senator Tom Bakk
State Sen. Tom Bakk, DFLCook, was presented with the 2010 League of Minnesota Cities Legislator of Distinction Award. Bakk was recognized for his leadership in minimizing the 2010 and 2011 aid and credit cuts to cities and preventing the extension of levy limits. In addition, the League of Minnesota Cities expressed its appreciation for Bakk’s willingness to listen to the concerns of cities regarding the JOBS bill and other tax increment financing proposals. The League also praised Bakk’s responsiveness to constituent concerns regarding legislation that may have restricted the authority of cities and counties to install and operate fiber optic broadband networks.
The award is given out annually by the League, which represents 800 cities across Minnesota. “Our members recognize that in order to be successful in serving our common constituents, state and city officials must work together as partners to reach solutions that meet the unique needs of rural, suburban and urban Main Streets across the state,” the League wrote in the award announcement. “In recent years, the state has continued to shift a greater burden on local governments in order to balance the state budget,” Bakk added. “While state support for core government services like education, transportation, and public safety has diminished, local governments have been forced to pick up a bigger share of the tab. As a legislator, I will continue to fight to stabilize the state and local fiscal relationship, and resist efforts to balance the state’s budget through property taxes.”
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