State Statutes were passed for Cook County to be in the Taconite Relief Area because the Taconite Harbor power plant and Taconite Harbor rail loading dock were located in Cook County and served LTV Steel on the Iron Range. Where the mine closed Senator Doug Johnson “grandfathered” Cook County into the Taconite Relief Area to allow Cook County to continue to receive taconite production tax benefits. The funds come from taxes mining companies pay. What does this mean to the citizens of Cook County?
1. Every homeowner gets about a $300 a year credit on your property taxes as a direct credit against the amount owed.
2. Cook County schools receive over $870,000 a year to help fund students and buildings.
3. The City of Grand Marais receives over $100,000 and Cook County $300,000 directly buying down the cost of the County and therefore property taxes.
4. In the past four years the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board has funded over $2 million for businesses, projects and programs that has leveraged $24 million of public/private investments in Cook County.
5. Last year $1 million went directly to the Cook County School for important project.
There are times when Senator Bakk and myself have to fight and answer questions from core Iron Range legislators as to why Cook County should get taconite tax dollars when they hear anti-mining rhetoric from some citizens in Cook County.
Legislators are listening to the mining debate going on in the Cook County and elections have consequences. The rail harbor has been shut down for years. The power plant is reducing its output and with generator No. 3 scheduled to be closed in the future there will be more questions. The loss of millions of production tax dollars a year would be devastating to businesses, Grand Marais, the school and the county. The local boards would have very tough decisions to make.
Other counties have stayed in the service area after mining has left their communities. Those communities have realized the benefit it is to be a part of a “mining region” and likewise have supported mining.
Senator Bakk and I will continue to defend Cook County to assure it stays in the Taconite Relief Area. Mining is important to Cook County. As you can see, there are “millions” of reasons every year how being a mining region and supporting this important industry helps our people.
Minnesota Representative David Dill
Crane Lake, MN
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