On Tuesday, the Minot City Council and Minot Park Board came together for a joint meeting in the City Council Chambers to discuss a new .5% sales tax for the City of Minot. The sales tax is intended to decrease property taxes and provide funding for a new indoor turf facility, the Maysa Fieldhouse, in Minot.
The proposed indoor facility would be a nearly 30,000 square foot Fieldhouse that would allow for year-round activities. Elly DesLauriers, Executive Director for the Minot Parks District, stated that the facility would be big enough for both a softball group and baseball group to be using the space at the same time.
The need for the new Fieldhouse was inspired by an indoor facility study that Minot Parks District started in 2021 with user groups which included community members and stakeholders. It was determined that the main priorities for stakeholders were in the order of turf, aquatics, play, courts, and ice.
DesLauriers stated that after they reviewed the needs, it was determined that there were many things that they are not able to offer now which they would be able to with this new facility.
“When we look at our fun zone that we have built in the armory downstairs we average 60-90 kids per day there.” DesLauriers continued, “that is simply just inflatables and yard toys that we open on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays for people to come and use for free.”
DesLauriers emphasized their desire to offer more opportunities for unorganized play, like the Fun Zone, to benefit the community. The new facility would also open greater opportunities for tournaments and other events that would create an economic impact for Minot.
“Tournaments that we can bring in can bring an economic impact,” DesLauriers stated. “Definitely having people outside of our town to come in and use this facility as well.”
The .5% sales tax would cover the project cost and provide tax relief for Minot residents. Based on the 2025 budget, it would provide about 3.5 million dollars in tax relief decreasing the mil levy by 14mils or $170 per year for a 250k home.
After five years, the Minot Park District would have the chance to review the sales tax revenue and assess whether the new 26-mill cap set by this ordinance is adequate or needs adjustment. DesLauriers noted that the ultimate goal would be to reduce the cap even further.
The Minot City Council voted unanimously, with Councilman Mark Jantzer being absent, to place the resolution on Monday’s City Council Meeting’s agenda.
