Economics - and economies of scale - tend to trend against small rural communities such as ours.
Let’s face it: large population centers have many advantages when it comes to the economy.
Businesses have a much better chance of succeeding where people congregate, and the same holds true for units of government.
More people equals more property and more property wealth, and the chance to spread the costs of community service - be it infrastructure, the cost of government or the expenses linked with public education - across a much broader, wider and richer swath of property and property owners.
Ely and other rural communities have been quite fortunate that for decades, state and federal governments have recognized those realities and created and funded an assortment of programs.
Local government aid of course is a big one, and a program that the city of Ely can’t live without.
Programs such as the Community Development Block Grant initiative and agencies such as the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board have provided millions upon millions of dollars of benefits to Ely.
Look no further than the recent renovations at the Ely school campus and those still to come with the district’s athletic facilities, not to mention the seemingly annual awards to the city of Ely for various infrastructure and economic development projects.
Ely also has no doubt been aided by funding programs set up for rural housing, water and wastewater projects, and rural airports.
And in a few days, leaders on the Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College will celebrate the completion of more than $3.6 million in improvements to the school’s campus building. That money came from the state’s bonding bill.
The event at Vermilion coincides with a visit to town Wednesday by state legislators, who are on tour across the state to get a closer look at projects that might be included in a 2026 bonding bill.
For the city of Ely, the bonding bill is crucial as officials look for funds to complete water main improvements critical to the city’s drinking water supply.
The infrastructure need in Ely is critical and the project long overdue, and we hope lawmakers see the benefit of investing in our community.
After all, the state of Minnesota is more than the Twin Cities metro.
There’s value and benefit to rural areas and that’s something Minnesota has always recognized, even if the politics have shifted a bit.
We remember the days when DFLers carried the load in championing LGA, defending the funds held by the IRRRB, and pressing for bonding dollars to be sent to greater Minnesota.
Today, more Republicans are representing rural parts of the state, particularly on the Iron Range, and we hope and believe that more in that party are recognizing the benefits of programs that benefit rural communities.
Bipartisan support for Ely, the Iron Range and rural communities is a win-win. And who knows? Maybe that spirit can extend to other areas and issues that cause contention and rancor in St. Paul.
We welcome the legislators - both DFL and Republican - to Ely. And we invite and urge them to press forward and carry on the state’s tradition of recognizing and realizing that small communities at times need a helping hand. And that all of Minnesota benefits when that occurs.
