Open Forum

Caution needs to be observed by the citizens on how your city council is spending your tax dollars on projects in surrounding townships. The city has recently rebuilt the Wonderland Park Road which is in Oak Lawn township because of city services requested by seven of the annexed landowners on that road. The total cost of the project was divided into the 21 parcels of land of which 14 are not in the city. The city only assessed and collected from the seven landowners who requested the services. They did not collect enough fees to cover the total cost of the project. Therefore the citizens of Brainerd will now be taxed to pay for the balance of that project.

Because of the Wonderland Park Road project by the city, there is now parking lot run off flowing right into Rice Lake and the Mississippi River. The township has much stricter environmental regulations that are followed whereby the city is immune to those environmental issues.

The other 14 residents on Wonderland Park Road that are not in the city are now being pressured to annex into the city because of false promises made to those residents. There are other alternatives to annexing into the city that are far more financially prudent and environmentally safe than annexing into the city.

Ken Zelinske

Rural Brainerd