When the legislative session ended without a budget agreement -- meaning Gov. Tim Pawlenty will clean up the mess with his own brand of unallotment cuts and no new taxes -- some business leaders heaved a sigh of relief.

They're calling the session a success because there were no new taxes, says the Business Journal.

"Given the economy, I think coming out of the session without additional burdens being placed on job providers is an enormous victory," said Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership.

"On the budget, certainly we fared pretty well," said Tom Hesse, vice president of government affairs for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. "The variety of tax increases that were proposed by the Legislature did not happen, thanks in large part to the governor, and we’re pleased with that outcome."

Officials from the National Association of Industrial and Office properties (NAIOP), a commercial and real-estate development association, were pleased the session ended without increasing statewide general property taxes, something that had been discussed earlier in the session. But since state aid to Minnesota cities could be among the items that get cut by Pawlenty, NAIOP members are still worried that local property taxes might rise as cities try to balance their own books.

But businesses groups didn't record any major proactive victories either, said Blois Olson, an executive vice president at Tunheim Partners in Bloomington who also writes for MinnPost. "The real question is: Did we do anything that is going to grow jobs? I think the jury's still out," he said.