>> ERIC: COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, PAUL DOUGLAS IS HERE WITH A DROUGHT UPDATE, AND THIS WEEK'S NEW LAW SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHANGES FOR MINNESOTA VOTERS.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH ST. PAUL CITY NEWS.

MAYOR MELVIN CARTER DELIVERED HIS BUDGET ADDRESS YESTERDAY, AND IT CONTAINED SOME GOOD NEWS ON PROPERTY TAXES AND MEDICAL DEBT FOR CITY RESIDENTS.

ST. PAUL "PIONEER PRESS" REPORTER FRED MELO WAS THERE.

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK.

>> THANKS.

>> Cathy: EXPLAIN THIS.

PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP BY 15%.

THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S GOOD NEWS.

BUT IT'S OFFSET, EVIDENTLY, BY DROPS IN THE TREET REPAIR -- THE MAINTENANCE FEES, EVIDENTLY.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> THIS YEAR, WE SAW THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAXES COLLECTED, THE TAX LEVY, GO UP A LITTLE OVER 14%.

BETWEEN 14 AND 15%.

THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP AGAIN 3.7%.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LEVELING OF THAN WE HAVE.

A COUPLE YEARS AGO IT WAS 6%.

SO THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS.

AND IF YOU'VE GOT A HOUSE THAT'S WORTH, LET'S SAY, ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE, $1267,000, MEDIAN -- $267,000, MEDIAN VALUE HOUSE, YOU MIGHT SEE $27 IN SAVINGS, THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR MEDIAN HOMEOWNERS.

THE BIG COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, THE FACTORIES, THE WAREHOUSES WHERE YOU DO SAME-DAY DELIVERY OUT OF, THAT'S HUGE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DEMAND FOR THOSE COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO ABSORB SOME OF THAT 3.7%, TO THE POINT WHERE I AS A HOMEOWNER MIGHT GET TO SAVE A COUPLE BUCKS.

>> Eric: COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THIS REST IN PEACE MEDICAL RECOVERY, R.I.P.

MEDICAL DEBT?

>> R.I.P., MEDICAL DEBT.

YEAH, IT'S A NATIONAL NONPROFIT.

IT'S OUT OF LONG ISLAND CITY IN NEW YORK.

IT GOES TO HOSPITALS, HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS, IT SAYS, LOOK, YOU HAVE ALL THIS UNCOLLECTED MEDICAL DEBT, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO SEE THAT MONEY.

WE WILL BUY THAT, WE HAVE ALL THESE DONATIONS FROM PHYSICIANS AND FAITH-BASED GROUPS, CITY OF CLEVELAND DID IT, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WHERE CHICAGO IS, DID THIS, WE'LL GIVE YOU A MILLION DOLLARS TO WRITE OFF $100 MILLION OF MEDICAL DEBT.

SO YOU GET A DOLLAR FOR EVERY 100 THAT YOU'RE OWED.

BETTER THAN NOTHING.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> BETTER THAN HAVING TO SEND THIS TO COLLECTIONS, HOUND PEOPLE, PUT, YOU KNOW, A BLACK MARK ON PEOPLE'S CREDIT.

THE PATIENT BENEFITS, AND THEY CAN COME BACK TO YOUR HOSPITAL INSTEAD OF GOING, OH, I'M NOT GOING TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN.

>> Cathy: WHY WOULD THIS BE A MAYORAL PRIORITY?

>> WELL, PART OF St. PAUL MAYOR MELVIN CARTER'S KIND OF ATTITUDE IS THAT CITIES THRIVE WHEN PEOPLE THRIVE.

SO HE'S TAKEN A MUCH MORE, SOME SAY HEAVY-HANDED, SOME SAY IT'S TOO MUCH, SOME AY IT'S JUST RIGHT, BUT A MUCH MORE DIRECT APPROACH IN CITIES FORGIVING LIBRARY FINES SO PEOPLE AREN'T DISSUADED FROM COMING BACK TO THE LIBRARY, HE SAYS, BY THE SAME TOKEN, IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF MEDICAL DEBT, THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK AN AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL, HAD A PROCEDURE DONE, YOU MIGHT NOT DO THAT AGAIN.

SO WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE IN, NOT PUSH PEOPLE OUT.

SO, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN DO.

BUT, LIKE I SAID, THE MAYOR OF CLEVELAND WAS HIS FRATERNITY BROTHER, HEY, MELVIN, GOT TO GET ON THIS, IT'S WORKING FOR CLEVELAND.

>> Eric: NOW, St. PAUL VOTERS IN NOVEMBER HAVE A CHANCE TO RAISE THE CITY SALES TAX.

WHAT IS IT, ALMOST A BILLION OVER 20 YEARS, BIG MONEY.

>> IT'S BIG MONEY.

IT'S ALMOST A BILLION VER 20 YEARS.

AND IT'S KIND OF A TRIPLE WHAMMY, BUT SOME VERY NEEDED TRIPLE WHAMMY CONSIDERING THE CONDITION OF OUR ROADS.

WE HAVE ROADS, LIKE SUMMIT AVENUE, THAT THE MAYOR KEEPS SAYING, THE LAST TIME IT WAS RECONSTRUCTED, YOU KNOW, TAFT WAS PRESIDENT.

THAT WAS 1909, BY THE WAY.

>> Eric: OKAY.

>> SO THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A 60-YEAR RECONSTRUCTION CYCLE, THEY'RE ON A 120-YEAR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

YOU HAD A PERSONAL POINT TO THE SALES TAX, IT WOULD BE BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE SALES TAX IN THE STATE, 9.87, BUT OVER 20 YEARS, WE HAVE MONEY, WE CAN REBUILD MAYBE 20 BIG, BUSY ARTERIAL STREETS AND A FOURTH OF THAT BILLION WOULD GO TO PARKS, PARK FACILITIES AND WE'RE A BIG PARK CITY.

>> Cathy: St. PAUL FIREFIGHTERS WERE PICKETING FOR HIGHER STARTING WAGES, RIGHT?

WHAT'S THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION AND THE ADMINISTRATION?

>> NOT GOOD.

I MEAN, I GOT TO THE MEETING A LITTLE BIT EARLY.

THE MAYOR ACROSS THE STREET, TO TALK TO THE FIREFIGHTERS, SAY, IF YOU'RE RESPECTFULLY, YOU CAN COME SIT DOWN, JUST JOIN, YOU KNOW, MY BUDGET ADDRESS.

THEIR FIRST THING OUT OF SOME OF THE FIREFIGHTERS' MOUTHS WAS WHY BOTHER?

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED.

PAY US WHAT YOU OWE US.

VERY KIND OF COMBATIVE ATTITUDE.

AND A LOT OF DISAGREEMENT ON BOTH SIDES WHERE THAT RELATIONSHIP BROKE DOWN.

YOU KNOW, WHO INVITED WHO TO THE TABLE, WHO REFUSED TO GO.

THEY'RE HEADING TO ARBITRATION AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

BUT THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, OUR STARTING WAGES ARE $65,000, THAT MAY NOT SOUND LOW TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT IT'S SUPPOSEDLY THE 14th LOWEST IN THE STATE.

SO CAPITAL CITY, BRUISING PANDEMIC, THEY DO A LOT OF RESPONSES TO THINGS LIKE GUNSHOTS IN St. PAUL AND CERTAINLY THE PANDEMIC WAS TAXING ON EVERYBODY.

>> Eric: AND THE COUNCIL FINALIZES THE BUDGET IN DECEMBER, I THINK?

>> IN DECEMBER, YEAH.

SO THERE'S DISCUSSIONS AHEAD.

NONE OF THIS IS A DONE DEAL.

>> Eric: RIGHT.

THANKS, FRED,