HIBBING—The City of Hibbing launched a new website Monday to help residents learn more about its plan for a new regional public safety center and the upcoming referendum in November to help fund it.
Your Safety, Our Priority is the city’s $29.6 million plan to construct a new regional public safety center that would bring all first responder departments—fire, EMS and police—under one roof.
The city has launched a new website—YourSafetyOurPriority.org—to help residents learn more about the plan, the cost and tax impact, frequently asking questions, voting information and more.
“As a regional hub for public safety services, our current public safety facilities are disconnected, deteriorating or inadequate to meet the needs of our residents, community and region,” said Mayor Pete Hyduke. “After carefully considering options over the last three years on how to meet our growing challenges, it is clear that housing our fire station and police department in one location will improve the efficiency and coordinated response of essential public safety services.”
Currently, the Hibbing Fire Department operates out of a 60-year-old building that, despite regular maintenance efforts, suffers structural deterioration and moisture and water damage. The building lacks sufficient space for personnel, fire trucks, tactical gear, equipment, storage and training. The Hibbing Police Department currently leases space from St. Louis County for approximately $70,000 a year but lacks sufficient space for personnel, equipment, evidence storage and employee training. Additionally, no spaces are large enough to support emergency response planning, training and collaboration between the Hibbing public safety departments.
A new regional public safety center would provide a safe, healthy work environment for all public safety personnel, larger bays for firetrucks and tactical gear, more room for equipment and evidence storage, indoor parking for police vehicles and squads and improved emergency response planning, training and coordinated service.
To fund this community investment, the city will ask voters to consider a half-percent local sales tax this November that would finance up to $19.6 million of the plan’s cost. The remaining funding for the plan would come from $10 million in bonding funds provided by the 2023 Minnesota Legislature. The city is also pursuing grant funding to support the project, which would reduce the overall cost burden on taxpayers.
If approved by voters, the local sales tax would apply to the same goods and services and follow the same exemptions as the state sales tax. According to an analysis conducted by the University of Minnesota, about half of the local sales tax would be paid for by non-residents.
In approving the proposed plan, the City Council determined that a local sales tax was a better option to fund the plan than a property tax increase, which would have placed the project’s entire cost solely on those who own property in Hibbing.
“In developing this plan, the city was mindful of using taxpayer dollars wisely,” said City Administrator Greg Pruszinske. “When considering the state bonding funds and non-resident contributions collected through the local sales tax, Hibbing residents would be responsible for less than one-third of the total project costs.”
For more information on the City of Hibbing’s plan to invest in essential public safety services, visit YourSafetyOurPriority.org or contact Kelly Grinsteinner, Marketing and Communications Manager, at 218.966.2166 or kellygrinsteinner@hibbingmn.gov.
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