St. Cloud Could Bring Sales Tax Increase to Voters in 2022

ST. CLOUD -- The idea of creating a new half-cent sales tax in St. Cloud is back on the table after city leaders decided not to move forward with any ballot questions in the November election.

During Monday night's meeting, the city council will consider a resolution asking the state legislature for approval to bring the question to the voters.

The half-cent sales tax would be used to fund up to five capital improvement projects.

Mayor Dave Kleis says voters would get the final say at the ballot box, which must happen during a general election, so in this case that would be in November of 2022. He says the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic should be behind us by then.

We're very hopeful, I think everyone is, that by the end of this year or even his summer, we'll start to see that recovery.  This will be something that voters could determine in 2022 and take effect in 2023 way beyond the pandemic.

The five proposed projects are

1).  Improvements to East St. Germain/Lincoln Avenue/4th Street Southeast

2).  Improvements to Heatherwood Road from Clearwater Road to Opportunity Drive

3).  Improvements to 16th Street South/Traverse Road/22nd Street South from 6th Avenue South to County Road 136

4).  Improvements to 2nd/3rd Street North from 10th Avenue to Highway 15

5).  Improvements to the Municipal Athletic Complex.

The half-cent sales tax would be in place for 20 years and could generate nearly $137 million. Each project would have a separate ballot question.