Public Policy
Brainerd & Baxter Local Option Sales Tax - Information
Brainerd Main Street
Business Gives
Highway 371 - Pequot Lakes
Intelligent Growth - Regional Planning Initiative
Minimum Wage Increase
State Business Issues Forum
Brainerd & Baxter Local Option Sales Tax Information
Use the links below to find resources for administering the Brainerd and Baxter Local Options Sales Tax. For more information contact your city or the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
Brainerd Sales Tax Information
Brainerd Map
Baxter Sales Tax Information
Baxter Map
Baxter Street Names
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Chamber Recommends Through Town Expansion of Pequot Lakes Highway 371
The City of Pequot Lakes is facing a decision that will affect our economic future for the next 20 plus years – the alignment of the Highway 371 four-lane expansion.
To assist with the council’s decision, the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, through its Pequot Lakes office, helped facilitate education of the community and businesses about the highway alternatives and participated in the bypass study group meetings. The Chamber partnered with the City of Pequot Lakes, Initiative Foundation, and businesses to facilitate an intercept study, business, and residential survey, and public meeting on October 25 that presented information about both alternatives. The four page article in the Echo also played an important role in raising awareness of the meeting and the two routes.
While the Chamber has served as facilitator and educator, it has also thoughtfully evaluated the impact and benefits of the two routes throughout this process and finds that neither route provides a perfect solution.
Based on this evaluation over the past 10 months, the Brainerd Lakes Chamber Pequot Lakes/Breezy Point Advisory Committee, and Board of Directors will advocate what appears to be the clear-cut best alternative by supporting the through town expansion of Highway 371 for the following reasons:
- The construction of a bypass route is uncertain. The earliest projected starting date is 2015-2016 in the Nisswa area, funding dependent. The Chamber believes that commercial investment in Pequot Lakes will languish until at least 2020 – or beyond depending on if and when the bypass is constructed.
- A through town route maintains the expectations of all involved – community at large, residents, business, travelers…stagnation of the community will occur if a bypass route is selected – the bypass at the earliest will be completed in 10 years; at worst, it may never be built.
- A through town route creates a level playing field with neighboring communities that have all decided to keep the existing highway alignment – Pequot alone will be bypassed. The study by Region 5 of shoppers in Pequot Lakes showed that 59% thought the visibility of the businesses was important.
- Traffic levels will return to their current levels on existing Highway 371 by 2030 with a bypass – we won’t resolve pedestrian safety issues with a bypass.
- A decision for the through-town route would result in business confidence that would immediately be translated into near-term construction, improvement to existing structures, and development. An example of this is that 23% of the businesses who responded to the Region 5 survey indicated they would expand if the highway remained in its current alignment.
- If a bypass was built, it was assumed to have overpasses – this is no longer true.
- In the long term costs of both routes are a wash – due to turn back maintenance, future development on the bypass, etc.
- Safety of both routes is equal in the long term.
The information gathering process over the past few months has provided new information about the two routes. The Chamber asks to be, and wants to be, part of the dialogue with the council as they make their decision on the highway alignment in December.
Background information about the two routes:
Position Paper
Summary of through and bypass routes
Business Survey Results
Resident Survey Results
Intercept Survey Results
For additional information visit the following websites:
Community Growth Institute
Minnesota Department of Transportation
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Business Gives
Since the late 1960’s, Minnesota businesses have been recognized nationally for their corporate citizenship. This leadership continues today and the Brainerd Lakes Chamber is pleased to join with other Minnesota communities in a new program to support and recognize local businesses for their efforts to build strong communities through their charitable contributions and community involvement.
Brainerd Lakes Chamber Business Gives is associated with Minnesota Business Gives, a program managed by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce with support from Marquette Financial Companies. We are one of 30 communities throughout the state that to date are participating in this program, which was developed by Building Business Investment in Community (BBIC), a statewide effort to motivate, educate and recognize business giving.
Business Gives Program Description
Participation Form
Worksheet and Notes for Calculation and Tracking
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Federal Minimum Wage Sees First Increase on July 24
The new federal minimum wage ( $5.85 per hour) law takes effect Tuesday, July 24.
New posters are available at the following Web address: https://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/posters/flsa.htm Current minimum wage posters are valid until July 24, 2007.
How does the new federal minimum wage affect Minnesota employers? Where Federal and state law have different minimum wage rates, the higher standard applies.
The following chart depicts the minimum wage to be paid my Minnesota employers.
Basic Minimum
Wage Rate Per Hour
Large employer: $6.15
an enterprise with annual receipts of $625,000 (Minnesota Threshold) or more
Small employer: $5.85
an enterprise with annual receipts of $500,000 (Federal Threshold) to $625,000
Small employer: $5.25
an enterprise with annual receipts less than $500,000 (Federal Threshold)
(This information was provided by
MN Department of Employment & Economic Development)
Minimum Wage Information Poster
Minimum Wage Poster
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State Business Issues Forum
What State issues are impacting Brainerd Lakes businesses?
Tom Hesse, VP of Government Affairs for the Minnesota Chamber posed that question at a recent meeting sponsored by the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, held at Nor-son’s offices in Baxter. The business representatives attending the meeting discussed transportation improvements, investment in education, energy cost and availability, and health insurance premium increases.
- Minnesota needs to increase it’s investment in roads and transit and access matching federal funds. There was support for an approach that included increasing fees, taxes, and partial bonding – but only if they were assured that Mn/DOT was operating as efficiently as possible throughout the state. Everyone felt that the metro area should be allowed to fund their transit improvements with a ½% local option sales tax if they chose.
- Partnerships between education and business are crucial because education helps business maintain a quality workforce. At least 70% of local school funding is spent in the classroom, exceeding the goal established by Governor Pawlenty. Some area school districts have reduced their reserves, programs and services, and are still faced with significant budget shortfalls that may require local operating referendums. Representative John Ward described the importance of investments in early childhood education.
- The legislature recently mandated that 25% of the state’s electricity be generated by renewable energy by 2025. Concerns were expressed that renewable energy is often more expensive and still requires redundant supplies of electricity – for example, when wind turbines aren’t turning. In 2007, the State legislature passed legislation that would require a moratorium on coal-based power plants unless new legislation is passed prior to 2009. This complicates the need for new power plants and we have an unlimited supply of cheap coal in neighboring North Dakota. There was support for increasing nuclear generation but concern about what to do with the nuclear waste. The country of France, which generates most of its power from nuclear, recycles and reuses most of the waste, which is a practice that should be considered in the U.S. The wholesale cost of electricity has increased 8% this past year and projections are for an increase of 10-12% in 2008.
- One business reported that its health insurance premium increased 19% and the attendees discussed other options such as health savings accounts. They also asked whether the cost of popular prescriptions and common procedures should be available to the public through a website – similar to what has happened in Florida. Everyone felt it was important to educate their employees about making better lifestyle choices and health services choices and more information should be available about the cost of those choices.
- There was concern about the cost of retiree benefits for public employees and the burden on taxpayers in some communities of Minnesota. People wondered if this was going to impact our local units of government and the State.
- The legislature may consider changes to the State sales tax to generate more revenue. These changes could include clothing and services. The group was asked whether they would support an expansion of consumer goods and services if it reduced the overall sales tax percentage and if business inputs could be eliminated from the base to make the change revenue neutral to business. Everyone was very skeptical that business would be held harmless if this shift occurred.
- The capacity of refineries and gasoline availability was mentioned as a potential concern for Minnesota farmers.
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Freedom to Breathe Fact Sheet
Crow Wing County Hazodous Waste
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