Saint Paul Mayor Releases 2027 Supplemental Budget Proposal, Requests Restoration of Cuts to Libraries and Recreation Centers

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Mayor Kaohly Her today released her 2027 Supplemental Budget Proposal, requesting that the City Council include the updates in the City’s 2027 adopted budget. The proposal reflects higher-than-expected revenue projections and cost savings from even-year city elections and would restore funding for libraries and recreation centers.

The additional funding allows the City to restore several of the most difficult reductions included in the August proposal. The supplemental budget request totals $574,290, including $274,290 in savings from even-year elections and $300,000 in additional franchise fee revenue.

Restorations and revisions include:

• $286,722 restore the lease and services for Dayton’s Bluff Library.
• $75,000 to restore the full lease at Highwood Hills Recreation Center.
• $40,501 to restore morning hours at recreation centers.
• $50,956 for Edgcumbe morning hours.
• $21,611 to restore non-hub recreation center hours on holidays.
• $99,500 to continue funding enforcement of the separation ordinance. 

Statement from Mayor Her:  

“Today, I am following through on my promise to take a hard look at revenues and efficiencies. I am proud to announce that I am now able to restore cuts to libraries and recreation centers originally included in our 2027 budget proposal.  

These were always the most difficult cuts to consider, and I’m grateful that higher-than-anticipated revenue, driven in part by the Franchise Agreement with Xcel Energy our administration negotiated, makes it possible to preserve these resources for our residents.  

Over the last few weeks, we heard from far more neighbors who asked us to keep libraries and recreation services open than to keep property taxes lower. We’re listening. Today’s decision restores services in Dayton’s Bluff as an interim step while we work together on a long-term plan that reflects what our community needs and values.

I was elected to take a hard look at city operations. While current usage is lower than we’d like, that doesn’t change that there is still a community need for strong services, especially with cuts to the social fabric from the federal level.  

As I shared with you all when I proposed my budget, I’m committed to looking for solutions for Dayton’s Bluff that meet our community where they are at. If we are going to build a financially sustainable city, we can’t continue to preserve things just because they are familiar. We need to have the political courage to accept change and dream bigger.

I look forward to having a transparent, community-driven process to continue this important conversation.  

Unfortunately, Duluth and Case must remain scheduled for closure. Approximately $1.5 million would be needed just to address immediate code and life-safety issues, while more than $6 million would be required to address broader facility deficiencies, and even then, it would remain a 1950s-era building with aging systems increasingly vulnerable to unexpected failures.

While no final closure date has been set, this is not a question of if the facility will need to close, but when. Rather than risk an unplanned closure following another major failure, like the underground power line failure we had to address last week, we’re taking a proactive approach that allows us to plan for the eventual closure, redeploy programming, staff, and services, and continue building toward the long-term future of the site.

That is why the City has already invested $3 million in Common Cent funding to advance the design of a future facility. Community engagement has been completed, and the design process is approximately 50% complete. This puts us in a position to continue advancing the project toward shovel-readiness as we pursue additional capital funding opportunities and work toward a new facility that can serve the community for decades to come.

I’m looking forward to ongoing conversations with community members and councilmembers alike, and I invite everyone to stay with us in this work as we shape a stronger future for our libraries and recreation services together.”

The 2027 Supplemental Budget Proposal spreadsheet can be found here.