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OpinionCity administrator congratulated for raising questionsTo the editor: At the January 31 working session of the city council however, councilors were given the bad news that seven of the last gas turbine generators approved by the state have been given personal property tax exemptions as ì incentivesî for construction. It is likely that the Prairie Gen Corp. plant will receive similar incentives meaning that the only taxable value of the power plant will be for that of the land, already on the tax rolls and on the value of the pole building housing the generator. In other words, the only economic incentive for the city will be roughly equal to that of building a rambler-type dwelling on the property With the environmental impacts associated with building a power plant near many residences in the cityís Agricultural District, the deal is clearly soured given the stateís current energy policy and Representative Loren Jenningsí perennial attempts to entirely repeal the personal property tax on electric utility facilities. North Branch City Administrator John Moosey is to be congratulated for raising the critical issue during the councilís working session. Mark Oberg ©ECM Post Review |