To the Editor,
It’s election season (again) and we’re hearing (again), “…this one really matters…your vote is important!” This time it really does.
People in Lanesboro (as in neighboring towns) are facing challenging times. Locally the looming Highway 250 project threatens to add as much as $7 million to our local taxes (not to mention the financial stability of local businesses). On Monday, October 5, homeowners received a 2026 Lanesboro Public School Operating Levy Information Letter, alerting us that a “yes” vote on November ballot means we approve a tax increase whereby “… an average home in Lanesboro worth $250,000 would pay $352 per year in additional school taxes.” For 10 years.
Add to that rising property tax rates and higher medical insurance premiums and it starts to look like an economic tsunami is headed our way. Very soon. That reality raises a very real– and scary – question: who will be able to afford to live in Lanesboro?
These challenges will demand solid, wise, transparent and accountable leadership from elected officials committed to working together. It might help to view the votes we cast not as a popularity contest, but as a hiring process. Putting experienced and competent leaders in place at every level of our local government is more than just a nice thing to do. Given the economic (and other) challenges facing Lanesboro in the next 18 months, it is imperative.
So, vote. Vote wisely. This time it really does matter.
Mary Bell
Lanesboro, Minn.
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