The banner headline in yesterday’s DNT trumpeted the City’s brave attempt at transparency by replacing “street fees” from Duluth utility bills with honest to john property taxes. This was in anticipation of the Courts jumping in and forcing us to make the change…….well no matter the motivation, transparency is good.
But then the story explains that the City will tripple the “franchise fee” on Minnesota Power from one million to three million dollars. Those are disguised taxes too. Transparency only goes so far.
