Tax bill heard in Senate

Tax bill heard in Senate Ely superintendent testifies in support of legislation that pumps over $5 million into athletic facilities and funds numerous other projects

On the heels of a hearing in the State House, a State Senate Committee took testimony on a proposal that would deliver more than $5 million to the Ely School District to improve its athletic facilities.

The grant is part of much broader tax legislation advanced by State Sen. Grant Hauschild (D-Hermantown) and State Rep. Dave Lislegard (D-Aurora).

Senate Tax Committee members heard testimony from numerous people at an April 16 hearing, including from Ely School Superintendent Anne Oelke.

Oelke testified in support of the measure, which includes $250,000 set aside for renovations at Veterans Memorial Field, the community’s historic and heavily used baseball park, as well as another $5 million for district-wide athletic facility improvements.

While specific plans have not been developed, Oelke said passing the tax bill “will allow us to hopefully move forward with completing renovations and upgrades to our track, softball, football and baseball fields, gymnasium and ice arena, which are all important to youth sports and are also valuable teaching and learning spaces.”

The district has already completed more than $20 million in improvements that included the construction of a new building that links Washington and Memorial buildings, which was the center piece of a project that included numerous other renovations.

State lawmakers secure more than $4 million last year to completion portions of the project that were cut out because of inflation and Covid-19-related cost overruns.

Oelke pointed to that legislation and said “a similar past grant has allowed us to move forward to renovations to our 100-year-old campus.”

She highlighted the various improvements including the new building and its “modern secure entrance.”

The legislation appears to be moving forward in both the House and Senate.

Last week, the House Property Tax Division passed its ‘Division Report’ on to the full House Tax Committee.

Included in that package is a massive increase in the Taconite Homestead Credit, which has been frozen since 1998, as well as nearly $80 million in funding for projects across the region. In addition to the funding for the school and its athletic facilities, also included are:

• Veterans on the Lake in Ely $400,000 for housing facility replacement; • Pioneer Mine Historical Site in Ely - $50,000 for maintenance and displays;

• Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club $25,000 for trail maintenance and equipment;

• Prospector Loop ATV - $25,000 for trail maintenance and equipment;

• Babbitt ATV/Snowmobile Club - $25,000 for trail maintenance and equipment;

• City of Tower - $3 million for water infrastructure;

• Lake Vermilion Cultural Center - $100,000 to renovate the historical facility in Tower;

• Bois Forte Band of Chippewa $50,000 to the for-food shelf expenses;

• Northland Foundation - $500,000 for flood and economic relief programs for border area businesses.

The area lawmakers are proposing the largest increase in the Taconite Homestead Credit since it was frozen in 1998. It would increase the credit from the current average of $289-$315 per homeowner to $515 per homeowner - a roughly 77 percent increase.

The updated credit would be ongoing each year, making the cut permanent.