Range first, politics second
ALL FROM ELY - For perhaps the first time in history, there are three elected officials who reside in Ely representing the area. Pictured are St. Louis County Commissioner Paul McDonald, State Representative Roger Skraba and Lake County Commissioner Joe Baltich.
Lawmakers tout bipartisan effort, funding success at annual Ely session
by Tom Coombe
The vitriol often associated with national and even statewide partisan politics was largely and noticeably absent Monday in Ely.
Instead, State Sen. Grant Hauschild (D-Hermantown) and State Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely) sat side-by-side, and were joined at the table by State Rep. Dave Lislegard (D-Aurora), during a meeting where they often touted their efforts to work together to the benefit of the Ely area.
“I will say Grant and I did pretty good together,” Skraba told a packed house of about 60 people at the Grand Ely Lodge, during the annual legislative meeting convened by the Community Economic Development Joint Powers Board. “We communicate. The D and the R go away and hopefully we can keep that going.”
Hauschild, who like Skraba completed his first year as part of the Minnesota Legislature, agreed.
“What I told folks is that I would stay out of the side issues and stay out of a lot of the nonsense we see in o ur national politics and focus on delivering for our communities. That is first and foremost, front and center, what I try to do.”
While Democrats and Republicans are often polarized by hot-button and divisive issues, whether it’s in Washington, D.C., or St. Paul, the area’s legislators said they devoted their efforts to finding funding for a bevy of local projects.
“Ultimately both of us are fairly moderate and we focus on the money side of things and focus on making sure our rural communities are supported.”
Lislegard agreed, adding that he came to the meeting -held outside his district - at the insistence and invitation of Morse Township supervisor Bob Berrini.
Once dominated by Iron Range Democrats, the legislature now has only one remaining DFL member - Lislegard.
He told the group that times have changed in St. Paul, forcing northeastern Minnesota lawmakers to put partisan labels aside and instead focus on “Range first.”
At a meeting where legislators look ahead to the new year and hear appeals from area officials for support of various projects and initiatives, both Skraba and Hauschild also took the opportunity to look back at a historic 2023 session in St. Paul, when legislators dealt with a two-year budget surplus of better than $17 billion.
“The legislature was really good to us last year,” said Skraba.
Skraba said Iron Range benefits from the presence of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, a state agency that funnels production taxes from area mines to pay for numerous infrastructure projects and economic development initiatives.
“We are unique,” said Skraba. “I can tell you first hand that (Commissioner) Ida (Rukavina) is what makes it unique - the IRRRB and the way it works and helps us.”
Skraba also defended the flow of money north from St. Paul, adding “we supply them with healthy places to stay, good boat launches, trails. We have everything they want up here. And for us to support that we need the state to help and the federal government. Our job is to make sure those dollars are maximized.”
“I’m the rare Republican that thinks bonding is good,” Skraba quipped.
Hauschild said the area also relies on state funding because of the remote, rural nature of the region. His Senate district stretches from portions of Duluth to the North Shore, up through the Arrowhead to include the Ely, Babbitt and Tower areas and north to International Falls and west to portions of Itasca County.
Hauschild pointed out success in funding numerous projects that benefitted the Ely area, from better than $4 million for the Ely School District’s renovation project to separate measures that brought $1,143,000 to the Boundary Waters Care Center.
“There was over a million dollars just for the nursing home in Ely, which I know was a critical need,” he said.
Veterans on the Lake and area snowmobile trails both benefited from $300,000 allocations while Babbitt got $200,000 for an infrastructure project.
“It’s not just bonding,” said Hauschild. “We looked at all of these different bills to try and provide direct funding for our communities.”
That also included significant increases in state money for everything from local government aid to county program aid, and payment in lieu of taxes for publicly-owned land.
Those increases played a major role in keeping St. Louis County’s 2024 property tax levy in check, Ely commissioner Paul McDonald told the group.
Lislegard identified nearly $400,000 in additional state money heading to the city of Ely, by way of public safety aid and a $258,689 increase in local government aid.
That brought Ely’s total LGA award for 2024 to $2,817,133.
“The more money we take from the seven-county metro means the less you pay in taxes,” said Lislegard.
Hauschild said that more remains to be done in 2024 including efforts to raise awareness about the issues facing rural ambulance services (see related stories) including in the Ely area.
“The EMS issue has elevated to the top of the concerns I am hearing,” said Hauschild. “I heard that from places like Hoyt Lakes. I heard that from Tower and International Falls.”
It’s an issue that, like many others facing the Ely area, that appears to transcend party lines.
Skraba said that at times this year he voted for things he didn’t personally support to benefit his district.
“We have to start learning to do that,” said Skraba. “I’m not afraid to do that, or to cross over and support other people’s ideas. Hopefully we an keep that going.”
Skraba also said that Ely isn’t alone in the issues it’s facing, whether it’s ambulance funding, child care or affordable housing.
“Whether it’s northeastern Minnesota, or Mankato or Roseau, it’s the same issues,” said Skraba.
