A half-dozen Twin Cities suburbs are asking voters to approve sales tax hikes this November to pay for new and improved community centers and parks.

Why it matters: Local leaders say their communities want more and better spaces to play, sweat and gather.

• But budget constraints and concerns about property tax levels have prompted them to seek alternative revenue sources.

State of play: Projects on local ballots range from a new state-of-the-art sports facility in Chanhassen with ice sheets, a field house and an indoor playground to renovations for Stillwater's riverfront park.

• Others, like Brooklyn Center, have proposed upgrades to existing facilities.

Case in point: Richfield is pitching voters on a plan to renovate its 63-year-old community center to include a gym, an indoor walking track and underground parking.

• Mayor Mary Supple told Axios that residents expressed a desire for more indoor space where young people can "just be kids and have fun" during the winter months.

Yes, but: A need to replace aging roads and water mains meant the city "didn't have enough capital" to improve those recreational assets on its own, Supple said.

How it works: State law allows cities and counties to ask voters to raise local sales taxes to pay for infrastructure upgrades.

• The increases, which typically add a half-cent to a cent for every dollar spent, layer on top of the state rate of 6.875% and any other existing local sales taxes.

The catch: The projects must have a regional benefit, because people from neighboring areas are also likely to pay the sales tax when they buy goods and services within city limits.

For example, Chanhassen officials backing a sales tax hike to fund the proposed 300,000-square-foot Bluffs Community Center say one-third of the city's parks and recreation participants are from the surrounding community.

• The space could also host events like graduation for the local high school, where two-thirds of students are from neighboring towns, Mayor Elise Ryan told Axios.
• An analysis commissioned by the city estimates that about 45% of the sales taxes paid over the next 20 years would come from non-residents.

The other side: Some residents have asked why another increase is needed after the Legislature passed a metro-wide hike last year (that one was for housing and transit).

• In general, some critics argue sales taxes put too big a burden on lower-income people, even though essentials like food and clothing are exempt.

What we're watching

"The answer to how many birds I've bagged is zero."

Yes, but: The Democrat told reporters she hopes purchasing her own firearm for the first time will increase her odds, since her new 12-gauge Benelli Ethos is lighter and better sized for her frame.

What we're watching: Whether Gov. Tim Walz, who has bagged roosters in his past outings, will take a break from the campaign to make an appearance at the season's opener in Sleepy Eye on Saturday.

🧊 The Ice Castles event, which has brought ice tunnels, caves, fountains and slides to different Twin Cities suburbs in recent years, is setting up at the State Fairgrounds this winter. (KARE 11)

⚾️ The Twins decided to stick with WCCO as their radio partner after considering others, including KFAN. They signed a multi-year deal with the station. (Star Tribune)

📺 Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged during "60 Minutes" last night that Vice President Harris has told him "to be a little more careful on how you say things." (Axios)

• Walz again defended his past misstatements and responded to GOP attacks casting his Minnesota record as too radical.

State flags will fly at half staff to honor a park ranger who died when his boat capsized during a rescue attempt at Voyageurs National Park. (Background via KSTP)

☀️ September 2024 was the sunniest month in Minnesota, dating back until at least 1950. (FOX 9)

🏈 The Vikings are riding high now, but six teams in NFL history have missed the playoffs after a 5-0 start. (Andrew Krammer on X)

• Two of those teams were the Vikings — in 2003 and 2016.

Three Minneapolis City Council members promised their long-delayed proposal to create a "labor standards board" will get a vote before year's end.

Why it matters: If enacted, the board would have the power to make influential recommendations for new business regulations regarding worker safety, training, pay and more.

• Labor unions and their allies hope the board could improve conditions for low-wage workers.

State of play: "We're in the 'finishing touches' part," Council Member Aurin Chowdhury told Axios in a joint interview with co-authors and fellow Council Members Aisha Chughtai and Katie Cashman late last month.

Friction point: Many industry groups fear the board could lead to burdensome restrictions for businesses. The absence of publicly available details about the proposal has inflamed those anxieties.

• A final version of the legislation is still not public, but drafts have circulated among insiders for months.

What they're saying: "There's a misconception that the labor standards board is a labor standard itself that will kill business," Chowdhury told Axios.

• "What the labor standards board is — plain and simple — is an advisory board to recommend policy and bring people to the table."

What's next: Authors are still holding meetings with interested parties, including a forthcoming listening session with one particularly nervous group: restaurant owners of color.

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