A law requiring Minneapolis business owners to prepay the second half of their 2020 property taxes was waived yesterday in order to allow businesses destroyed following the death of George Floyd to get a demolition permit.
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey says he ordered the change after just learning of it yesterday.
"I immediately contacted our staff and directed them to issue the permits and waive the fees," Frey told WCCO Radio's Dave Lee. "Make sure that the remainder of these buildings can get demolished and we can move forward."
St. Paul does not have the prepay requirement. However, state law requires second half property tax prepayment in order to get a demo permit.
The businesses destroyed in the riots following George Floyd's death no longer have to prepay the second half of their 2020 property taxes to obtain a demolition permit. Frey told WCCO Thursday morning that businesses don't need more hurdles right now.
"I mean, our businesses do not need additional bureaucracy right now," Frey says. "What they need is help. So, any impediments to the necessary transformation renewal of these corridors needs to take place immediately, and then we're all for it."
Frey says they've been working to change for the past two months.
"It's a county issue. It's a city issue. It's a state law. You know, the state law says that you can't demolish these buildings or the remainder of these buildings without paying the property taxes. And so we've been trying to get the state law changed for the better part of a couple months now. But regardless, you know, I think we should just move forward. I don't think people want to hear about the red tape or bureaucracy holding things up. They want to hear about progress. So we took some quick action yesterday, and we're gonna see that action through."