Some NE Minn. officials glum over park land deal
While Gov. Tim Pawlenty and others are celebrating a deal to acquire land for a new state park on Lake Vermilion, some St. Louis County commissioners are brooding.
The Duluth News Tribune reported Wednesday the commissioners are glum because they wanted the land to sprout lakefront homes and cabins that could have been taxed. That would have meant millions of dollars for local governments.
The state will give local governments more than $500,000 every year in compensation. But that pales in comparison with the estimated $5 million to $16 million in property taxes that would have been paid by owners of high-end homes.
Commissioners note that 63 percent of St. Louis County already is government-owned and tax exempt.
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Information from: Duluth News Tribune
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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