Incline Village developer showed no need for $75 million subsidy approved by City Council

This is a damning report. It’s flabbergasting that $75M would come so easy with only a single soul seeking a normal amount of diligence. I hope we learn more about the missing condos. We’re already learning plenty about current leadership in Duluth.

Our city councilors doled out a Corporate Welfare check for $75 million using our tax money—and apparently it wasn’t even done properly, according to its own laws. Are they practicing for when they go to Congress and the military doesn’t ask for money?

When I asked some in town (maybe a councilor, maybe others), they made a shocking comment that the numbers would come later, as they always do.

It’s a councilor’s duty to ensure our tax dollars are being spent wisely BEFORE they vote to spend it. Even if they do get the NEED numbers, what five councilors will stand up in front of the snowball already rolling downhill and stop the progress of all this housing? So according to this piece and my observations of the agenda session and the council meeting, most councilors look to Arik Forsman, who has some sort of electrical utility economic development title (education on this subject unknown), for his head nod. He has been super supportive all along on the DEDA board and behind the scenes.

Let’s face it, except for ONE councilor, all of them, including Arik, have skirted their duties for what I call “Build Anything and Everything at Any Cost.” This happened under Donny, Emily, and now Roger. I have hope that Roger will dig deeper into these things, but with good old Montgomery back in his old seat I doubt Roger is getting a good independent analysis of this TIF or any coming in the future. The City has admitted they do not have a TIF expert, so I requested Roger get one at a public meeting the other day where he was in attendance. I stated that councilors have no clue about TIF details, they have no staff, and all they have is city staff to rely on. Oh, and I guess Arik Forsman. All City staff are scared for their jobs, so of course everyone is like, “Looks great to me, check the box.”

We have at least one councilor who is willing to ask the tough questions but all she gets is BS and the time runs out, vote now. It’s time the Council hires an independent consultant to go over these TIFs, because Ehlers is just providing what the City wants. The City–meaning our councilors–should be sending Ehlers the questions they have directly, not through City staff.

Lots of TIFs are in our future, Roger. Get someone on staff who is an expert soon.

Please, councilors, stop the madness. Get the numbers that show the NEED so you can be an informed body, not one led around by your noses.