State budget bill a boon for Carlton County

Although it squeaked through at the very last minute, Carlton County had a lot to celebrate in the final budget bill passed by state legislators and the governor last week.

The agreement (see Page 1) that the state would cover Enbridge tax repayments for counties, schools and townships was a tremendous relief for local officials. Additionally, legislators also approved two different local sales tax requests and the fire district’s ongoing plea for appropriate taxing authority for emergency medical services (EMS).

District 11 State Representative Mike Sundin was happy when he stopped by the Pine Knot News office Tuesday, July 5.

“When I get 20 bills moving out of 31, yes, I’m pleased,” Sundin said, adding that four of the other bills will carry over for bonding next year.

Sundin said the Enbridge bill was his. “I championed that one before for $50 million a couple years ago; this was for $29 million,” he said.

In other news, the legislature authorized half-cent sales tax requests from Carlton County and and the City of Cloquet; now both must get approval from voters at the general election in 2022. Carlton County is requesting a sales tax to help finance up to $60 million for the construction of a new building consisting of a law enforcement center, judicial center, and jail serving a regional female offender program in addition to the usual population of offenders. The city of Cloquet is asking for a new sales tax to cover up to $8.15 million in improvements at Pine Valley: that figure includes $6,025,500 for Northwoods Credit Union Arena and $2,124,700 for improvements to the Pine Valley park, including ski jump repairs, parking and lighting improvements and chalet replacement.

Cloquet city administrator Tim Peterson shared the good news with city councilors Tuesday, but stressed that it will be a lengthy process. The council is next supposed to approve the law that the legislature approved, then approve a referendum question for November 2022.

“At least we’re moving forward, and this is generally a larger step to accomplish,” he said of getting the legislative approval, which was contingent in part on the project being deemed of regional significance. “A big thank-you to the councilors and mayor who helped with this.”

The Cloquet Area Fire District also got a big win from the budget bill: getting rid of the artificially low levy caps for emergency services approved when CAFD was created in 2009. Chief Matt Ashmore said when CAFD was created — as one of the first fire districts in Minnesota — the legislation set the district’s EMS levy caps substantially lower than the rest of the state’s.

Made up of the member communities of Cloquet, Scanlon, Perch Lake and Brevator, the total area covered by the fire district (including contracted services with the Fond du Lac Reservation) spans 170 square miles. CAFD also provides ambulance service to a state-mandated area of more than 250 square miles in Carlton County and southern St. Louis County. CAFD members are taxed at one level, and homes with only EMS services (e.g., in Thomson Township) are taxed differently.

“We just wanted to mirror what everyone else had,” Ashmore said. He said CAFD was trying two tracks to accomplish that, either alone or as part of the comprehensive fire district bill that ultimately passed.

“Many other departments want to form districts to be more cost-effective, based on what CAFD has done since its inception,” Ashmore said. “They’ve been watching. It got to the point where they said ‘Let’s make statewide legislation.’”

CAFD did not get its request for bonding to cover half the costs (approximately $6.85 million) of constructing a new fire station. “We were told that legislation would be taken up next year, so we will go after it again,” he said.

Sundin, who chairs the agriculture committee, was pleased to report that it was one of four committees to finish on time in May. He touted an investment in training for meat cutting and processing, including a mobile butcher shop. He’s hoping having more trained butchers will help in case of future food supply disruptions, as well as providing good jobs.

Brookston will receive just under half a million dollars for a public campground, with matching funds to be provided by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board. “I’d like to see other campgrounds for canoeists along the St. Louis River,” he said.

He’s still working on other projects, including a veterans ID bill and a bill that would give Soil and Water Conservation districts levy authority.

“We’ve got work to do over the next year, that’s for sure,” Sundin said.