It looks like the short window for Albert Lea to get a half-percent sales tax past the Legislature has closed. It’s not surprising, because the window was barely cracked in the first place.

The proposal came a few years too late, after the state started getting careful about allowing local cities to approve extra sales taxes, the revenue from which can be dedicated to special projects &045; like, in Albert Lea’s case, lake improvement. Last year’s request died in a House committee.

The sales-tax idea was controversial, and would only have been more so this year, with local taxes already on the rise. But without it, there are few options that can raise the same kind of money to pay for much-needed lake improvements.

This means local supporters of the lake efforts, as well as the city and county governments, will need to become much more creative in finding ways to finance the work.

The county and its lake committee members have already made progress on a plan for Albert Lea Lake. Similar comprehensive plans are needed for other parts of the watershed. Once the needs and costs are identified, it may take a piecemeal approach to getting projects accomplished. Public funding, grants and private fund-raising are all possibilities, but they require much more work and have less potential to raise money than the sales tax.

With the latest deadline from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approaching, we may soon know what direction the county’s lake efforts will take. That milestone, along with the apparent exit of the sales tax from the scene, could mean yet another change in direction for the lake efforts. No matter what happens, though, it’s important that the community not give up after so much effort in the last few years.

Tribune editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s management and editorial staff.