Burnsville Considers Selling Ads on City Website

Navigate your web browser to the city of Burnsville's website and the first thing you'll see, written in bold letters across the center of the page, are these words: "Your Ad Here? Click here to tell us your thoughts on website advertising."

Burnsville already takes money from private advertisers in its annual Recreation Times magazine and other print publications. Plus, it accepts business sponsors for community events and TV programming.

But now the city is considering placing paid advertisements on its website and is seeking public input through an online survey.

“We are researching a few different things,” Burnsville's communications coordinator Marty Doll told the Star Tribune. “First, what would public opinion be on having ads on the city website? Second, is there a market for advertising on the site? Third, what kind of revenue or income could one expect from this type of advertising?”

Doll told the paper that he is aware of some Dakota County school districts placing ads on their websites but that he has not found any ads on city websites in Minnesota.

Tell the city of Burnsville what you think about online ads in their survey, or tell us in the comment section.