Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune

At a recent Glenwood City Commission meeting, City Administrator Dave Iverson explained how the city has been hurt financially by stagnant Local Government Aid (LGA) from the State of Minnesota.  Glenwood, like all cities in Greater Minnesota, receives state LGA each year.

Lack of LGA increases to bring the rate back to 2002 rates has hurt many Glenwood, Starbuck and all smaller, rural  Minnesota cities.

The problem is that the amount the cities received in LGA has be decreased since 2009 with the only increased coming in 2021 and 2022.

In 2009, the city of Glenwood received $703,304 in LGA from the state.  In 2022, the city received $722,030.  That rate is about the same as the amount the city received 20 years ago in 2002, according to figures provide by Iverson.

Iverson said that had the state just provided a 2 percent increase (about the cost of inflation over the past 14 years) the city would be receiving about $196,925 more in LGA.  “That’s simple interest, not compounded interest,” he said.

LGA was first approved by the legislature to help small cities who don’t have the property value to be able to fund adequate police officers, as well as purchase fire and police equipment.  Although those costs have risen significantly each year over the past 20 years, LGA has not.  “That means more of the expense is being carried by local city taxpayers,” Iverson said.

He said the city is part of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, a group that does lobby for increased LGA and other issues that affect cities in Greater Minnesota.  It is hoped that with the surplus this year, the Legislature can make a significant increase in LGA, Iverson explained.

We are well aware of the work the CGMC does for rural communities and we hope legislators this year, with the staggering budget surplus, can find some significant funding for LGA.  If it does, all of Greater Minnesota will benefit.

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It was a difficult week for most of us in Western and Central Minnesota this week as winter returned brining us rain, then significant snowfall.

What was looking like a promising early ice-fishing season was delayed by the weather last week and there are still only a handful of houses out on Lake Minnewaska and other area lakes.

Before the snow, the ice was forming well with most lakes boasting about eight inches.  But then the rain and warmer temperatures came followed by significant snowfall so there is a slush between the snow and the ice right now.  That makes it difficult to get around on the ice.  It also means driving on the ice isn’t popular right now, because of the snow and the uneven ice thickness.  With the latest cold snap predicted for this week, things should get better, but more lighter, fluffier snow is predicted as are high winds that blow that kind of snow around.  We’ll see how that affects the ice anglers who look forward to getting permanent houses out on Pope County lakes.

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We remind readers that because of Christmas falling on a Sunday, our printers and postal workers will be off on Monday.  That means we’ll print another issue this week, coming out on Friday early afternoon.