Chapter One Federal Government - Minnesota State Legislature

State Agencies Chapter Five
Office of Traffic Safety coordinates Minnesota’s involvement in federally funded traffic safety
programs and administers state funds for motorcycle and bicycle safety programs. The office also
develops an annual Highway Safety Plan and collects data for and publishes Minnesota Motor
Vehicle Crash Facts, an annual summary of traffic crashes on Minnesota’s roads.
Director: Kathryn Swanson
Office of Justice Programs serves as a catalyst for statewide approaches to reducing and preventing
crime, violence, and drug abuse through identifying causes, recommending policies, and coordinating
statewide and community strategies. The office administers grants related to crime victims to
public and private nonprofit agencies and tribal governments, advocates for laws to protect crime
victims’ rights and works to improve their implementation and enforcement, provides reparations
benefits to crime victims and their families, and assists the criminal justice system in holding
offenders responsible for the effects of their crimes.
Director: Jeri Boisvert
DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Law provides: The department supervises the administration of Minnesota tax laws. (Minnesota
Statutes, Section 270.06)
Commissioner: Dan Salomone Appointed: 2003
Salary: $108,400
600 N. Robert St., St. Paul 55146
(651)296-3403
Deputy Commissioner: Dennis Erno
Function: The department’s mission is to make the revenue system work well for Minnesota. It
provides taxpayers with the services and information they need to meet their obligations; processes
returns and payments; audits to resolve discrepancies and discourage tax evasion; enforces the tax
laws; and identifies and recommends improvements to the revenue system.
The department administers 31 taxes with annual tax collections of approximately $13.7 billion.
This money funds school aids, property tax relief, local government aids, individual assistance
programs, and a number of other state programs and operations. Of the state’s general fund
revenues, 40.6 percent is from individual income tax, 29.5 percent is from sales tax, 4.9 percent is
from corporate income tax, 4.3 percent is from the statewide property tax, 2 percent is from the
motor vehicle sales tax, and 8.3 percent is from all other taxes. All other revenues account for 10.4
percent.
The department’s divisions are organized into three management clusters:
Individual taxes cluster includes individual income tax, withholding tax, and collection.
Business taxes cluster includes corporation and sales tax, petroleum tax, and special taxes.
Tax policy cluster includes tax research, appeals and legal services, and property tax.
The department’s taxpayer rights advocate reports directly to the commissioner.
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Chapter
Five
State Agencies