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Record of Proceedings

Regional Railroad Authority Approves Maximum Tax Levy, Discusses Corridor Projects - September 23, 2025

Board of Commissioners & Authorities — Tuesday, September 23, 2025
BodyRamsey County, Minnesota
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Authorities
DateTuesday, September 23, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 18:33

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1:17

Chapin Singh?

1:18

Here.

1:19

McGuire?

1:20

Here.

1:20

McMurtry.

1:22

Here.

1:22

Miller.

1:23

Here.

1:23

Moran.

1:24

Here.

1:25

Zhang?

1:25

Here.

1:26

And Ortega.

1:27

Aye.

1:28

I'll entertain a motion on the agenda of September twenty-third, twenty twenty-five.

1:34

Some moved.

1:35

Second.

1:37

See no discussion.

1:39

Roll call.

1:40

Moran.

1:42

Aye.

1:44

McGuire.

1:45

Aye.

1:46

Mick Murtry.

1:47

Aye.

1:47

Miller.

1:48

Aye.

1:48

And Ortega.

1:49

Aye.

1:50

I'll entertain a motion on the minutes of August twenty-sixth, twenty twenty-five.

1:55

So moved.

1:56

Second.

1:57

Any discussion?

1:59

See none.

2:00

Roll call.

2:01

Moran?

2:02

Aye.

2:02

Zhang.

2:03

Aye.

2:04

Chapin Singh.

2:05

Aye.

2:05

McGuire.

2:06

McMurtry.

2:07

Aye.

2:07

Miller.

2:08

Aye.

2:08

And Ortega.

2:10

Aye.

2:11

We have one policy item certification as a maximum tax levy for the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority.

2:19

And again, this is just the maximum levy.

2:22

We will be looking to see how we can lower this levy also.

2:26

I'll entertain a motion.

2:30

So is there any discussion?

2:35

Yeah, Mr.

2:36

Chair, I would I would just like a uh general presentation.

2:38

I know that it has been a part of our budget already too, but during the public works section, we went uh a long time and um didn't get to it directly.

2:48

So I I would love to uh just have staff present what the max levy is as well as incorporating it into our overall plans.

3:00

Mr.

3:00

Chair Commissioners, thank you for the time.

3:02

Brian Isaacson, public works director, Ramsey County.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████66%
Public Engagement████████████████24%
Procedural███████10%
Summary of Proceedings

Regional Railroad Authority Approves Maximum Tax Levy, Discusses Corridor Projects - September 23, 2025

The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority met on September 23, 2025 at 10:04 a.m. in Council Chambers, Courthouse Room 300. All seven members (Jebens-Singh, McGuire, McMurtrey, Miller, Moran, Ortega, and Xiong) were present. The board unanimously approved the agenda and minutes of the previous meeting, then considered a policy item to certify the maximum tax levy for the 2026 budget. A presentation by Brian Isaacson, Director of Public Works, sparked discussion on eligible uses of funds and ongoing corridor projects. The meeting adjourned at 10:21 a.m.

Consent Calendar

  • Agenda Approval: Motion by Miller, seconded by Xiong. Unanimously approved (7-0).
  • Minutes Approval (August 26, 2025): Motion by Jebens-Singh, seconded by McGuire. Unanimously approved (7-0).

Policy Item: Certification of Maximum Tax Levy

  • Presentation: Brian Isaacson, Director of Public Works, presented the proposed maximum tax levy of $37,285,643 to finance the 2026 Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority Budget. He detailed statutory limitations: funds can only be used for railroad-related items (freight/passenger rail, rail crossings, bridges over railroads, and bus rapid transit), with a 10% capital cap for light rail/commuter rail projects, and cannot fund operations or maintenance of light rail/commuter rail.
  • Commissioner McGuire clarified that the levy can be used for bus rapid transit and infrastructure improvements, and is not limited to trains; trails with a rail nexus may also be eligible. She expressed full support for the levy.
  • Commissioner Xiong (referred to as Commissioner Jan) asked for clarification on what qualifies as rail or BRT. Isaacson explained rail includes light, passenger, and freight rail; BRT includes exclusive-lane projects like Gold Line and Purple Line.
  • Commissioner McMurtrey asked about the difference between Regional Railroad Authority funds and the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Isaacson explained that TIP is an all-encompassing document that includes RR authority funds; the authority has specific statutory enabling criteria.
  • Commissioner Miller thanked staff for the detailed explanation.
  • Motion: Moran moved, Miller seconded. Unanimously approved (7-0). Resolution R2025-014.

Corridor Updates

  • Northeast Corridor Trail: Chair Ortega noted the corridor has been a placeholder for 25 years, awaiting railroad to relinquish land. Commissioner McGuire highlighted the need for connecting trails and mobility options for walking, biking, and wheelchairs. Isaacson said the board’s recent funding flexibility allows for sharper attention to key corridors.
  • Purple Line: Commissioner Xiong informed the board of an upcoming community event organized by Move Minnesota and district councils to build support for dedicated transit on the Eastside and into Maplewood.
  • A-Line Extension: Chair Ortega mentioned the desire to extend the A-Line to Rice Creek Commons, hoping for progress soon.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimously approved the agenda and minutes.
  • Approved Resolution R2025-014 certifying the maximum tax levy of $37,285,643 for the 2026 Regional Railroad Authority Budget (with intent to potentially lower the final levy).
  • Staff will continue engagement with railroad partners on corridor projects, including the Northeast Corridor trail and Purple Line planning.
  • Meeting adjourned at 10:21 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

Chapin Singh? Here. McGuire? Here. McMurtry. Here. Miller. Here. Moran. Here. Zhang? Here. And Ortega. Aye. I'll entertain a motion on the agenda of September twenty-third, twenty twenty-five. Some moved. Second. See no discussion. Roll call. Moran. Aye. McGuire. Aye. Mick Murtry. Aye. Miller. Aye. And Ortega. Aye. I'll entertain a motion on the minutes of August twenty-sixth, twenty twenty-five. So moved. Second. Any discussion? See none. Roll call. Moran? Aye. Zhang. Aye. Chapin Singh. Aye. McGuire. McMurtry. Aye. Miller. Aye. And Ortega. Aye. We have one policy item certification as a maximum tax levy for the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority. And again, this is just the maximum levy.

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