The Truth in Taxation public meeting for the 2026 city budget has been set for December 8th at 6:00 PM. The proposed levy increase for the coming year is 9% over the previous year. Finance Director Miranda Pietila indicated that the property tax increase will help finance the hiring of an additional police officer and will help cover increased expenses for needed public works projects. Homeowners will see an increase in their tax bills in the coming year. Those who own a home valued at $200,000 will see an $8.69 increase, while homes valued at $300,000 will see a $14.21 increase, and homes valued at $400,000 will see an increase of $19.73. The Council voted to accept the budget proposal, and discussions about the particulars of the 2026 budget will be ongoing. The City will not go above the proposed 9% levy increase.
The City Council has been asked by Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS) director, Paul Peltier, to sign on to a letter in support of a claim that Minnesota iron ore mining companies do not have the technology that would allow them to meet sulfate standards for water discharge to protect wild rice. The state standard for sulfate discharge is 10 milligrams per liter. Apparently, mining operations have not had to meet this standard in Minnesota in the past. While sulfate itself isn’t directly harmful to wild rice, it can convert to sulfide in lake sediments, which can damage wild rice roots and contributes to methylmercury accumulation in fish. Taconite mining operations reuse water, which concentrates sulfate, and discharging this water without treatment exceeds the 10mg/L limit. There are developing technologies that can be used to reduce sulfate discharge, but so far, mining companies have not been willing to invest in these technologies, which they estimate would cost over $1 billion.
In other business, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the Two Harbors Airport on October 9th from 2 – 4 PM, and plans are underway to actually start the process to get the Edna G out of the water in Agate Bay. The Council voted to accept a proposal for Bolton and Menk to provide preliminary engineering services to facilitate moving the tugboat. This process will need to be done in phases so that the Edna G is not damaged. The City will pay Bolton and Menk $155,600 for their services to start this process.
The next Two Harbors Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 13th at 5:30 PM.
