Dear Member:As you have likely heard, the Mankato Area Public Schools are asking voters this November 7 to approve a referendum that will renew, and increase, an expiring operating levy. This proposal would call for increasing the District’s operating levy by $365 per student, from $784 to $1,149.As the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Organization serving the region, Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. (GMG) is focused on promoting the economic growth and vitality of our regional marketplace through effective community and business development initiatives. After careful consideration, GMG has decided to actively endorse the Mankato Area Public School’s proposed operating referendum. I wanted to notify you of this action before it went public and provide you with a summary of the process and rationale the organization considered in making the decision that the school’s proposed operating referendum is essential to the continued economic vitality of Greater Mankato.