Duluth property owners are only starting to get a taste of the irony coming as they are faced with an ever growing list of Duluth public projects and the price they will have to pay because of hundreds of millions of dollars of incompetent city spending.
The latest City of Duluth announcement will cost many Duluth home owners an average of $7,500 each ($61 per month for 20 years) for fixing Duluth’s aging sewer system and eliminating sewer overflows into Lake Superior.
In the typical “just a little more” Duluth fashion, Duluth Mayor Don Ness is recommending a $60 to $80 million dollar fix for the overflow problems including a $10 per month clean-water surcharge to all resident utility bills.
Never mind the extra on your electric bill every time that sump pump kicks in as it is “just a little more”.
Never mind the fact that over $15 million City of Duluth tax dollars have gone in to an aquarium that most likely will never function without public assistance.
Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth leadership has chosen to spend several millions of Duluth citizens’ public monies on the Wet House, a low income facility for chronic alcoholics.
Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth leadership has given out millions of dollars for low income housing loans with no interest or repayment required.
Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth made a $10 million dollar bonding screw up on the now over $20 million dollar and growing SMDC parking ramp.
Did Duluth City leaders forget there is a $300 million dollar unfunded retiree health care obligation for current and future residents? Ah never mind, right?
This year Duluth city leaders voted to use $40,000 of city monies to fund the railroad feasibility study. How much more Duluth taxpayer commitment will be needed, only time will tell? And yes, never mind that many Duluth residents pay state and federal taxes that will provide the majority of funding for the railroad.
The dollars above would have easily paid for new sewers and better streets, the infrastructure that a city should provide its citizens.
Then there is the ISD709, school district, Red Plan which alone is a $437 million dollar project financially threatening many of Duluth’s residents.
Whether you own or rent in Duluth, looking ahead a few property owners may actually benefit from eminent domain, as it may be their only way out before total financial collapse of Duluth.
The delusional Duluth leadership needs to look at reality and answer the question; how much more can they tax and fee the declining number of tax paying Duluth property owners? Duluth had a population of approximately 107,000 in 1960 and only 85,000 today.
Then there is even a bigger never reported in the media question; Was the WLSSD system in Duluth designed to handle all the growing communities surrounding Duluth that have joined the WLSSD system and has this expansion contributed to the sewage overflows that Duluth residents will be flipping the bill for?
The latest City of Duluth announcement will cost many Duluth home owners an average of $7,500 each ($61 per month for 20 years) for fixing Duluth’s aging sewer system and eliminating sewer overflows into Lake Superior.
In the typical “just a little more” Duluth fashion, Duluth Mayor Don Ness is recommending a $60 to $80 million dollar fix for the overflow problems including a $10 per month clean-water surcharge to all resident utility bills.
Never mind the extra on your electric bill every time that sump pump kicks in as it is “just a little more”.
Never mind the fact that over $15 million City of Duluth tax dollars have gone in to an aquarium that most likely will never function without public assistance.
Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth leadership has chosen to spend several millions of Duluth citizens’ public monies on the Wet House, a low income facility for chronic alcoholics.
Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth leadership has given out millions of dollars for low income housing loans with no interest or repayment required.
Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth made a $10 million dollar bonding screw up on the now over $20 million dollar and growing SMDC parking ramp.
Did Duluth City leaders forget there is a $300 million dollar unfunded retiree health care obligation for current and future residents? Ah never mind, right?
This year Duluth city leaders voted to use $40,000 of city monies to fund the railroad feasibility study. How much more Duluth taxpayer commitment will be needed, only time will tell? And yes, never mind that many Duluth residents pay state and federal taxes that will provide the majority of funding for the railroad.
The dollars above would have easily paid for new sewers and better streets, the infrastructure that a city should provide its citizens.
Then there is the ISD709, school district, Red Plan which alone is a $437 million dollar project financially threatening many of Duluth’s residents.
Whether you own or rent in Duluth, looking ahead a few property owners may actually benefit from eminent domain, as it may be their only way out before total financial collapse of Duluth.
The delusional Duluth leadership needs to look at reality and answer the question; how much more can they tax and fee the declining number of tax paying Duluth property owners? Duluth had a population of approximately 107,000 in 1960 and only 85,000 today.
Then there is even a bigger never reported in the media question; Was the WLSSD system in Duluth designed to handle all the growing communities surrounding Duluth that have joined the WLSSD system and has this expansion contributed to the sewage overflows that Duluth residents will be flipping the bill for?
1 comment:
The Duluth DFL at its finest! Don't blame me, I voted for Bell both times.
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