No CapX 2020

Another little birdie reminded me of the CapX push about all the great gobs of dough that this project brings to communities.  OK, fine, we know what we are, and let’s discuss the price.

From the CapX 2020 website, here’s a blurb that I’d missed somehow, propaganda extraordinaire:

From Wisconsin, in a March article on board candidates for New Holland Township, this report:

When asked what were there 3 most important subjects, Naegle gave the following answer.  His answer illustrates the degree of impact the above board bribe can have, perhaps did have, in weakening local government resistance to the line.

NAEGLE: CapX2020. The project will be starting soon. We need to be aware of what is being done and to protect the town of Holland. The town of Holland will be receiving $615,540 as a one-time payment in mid-2013, which is to be used for parks and environmental projects. The town will also receive $72,800 annually beginning in 2014 with no specific designation. It is important to spend this money wisely. I think some of this money should go to paying down town debt. Paying on loans for the new fire truck and Holland Sand Prairie would be my priority.

Roads and sign repairs. The town is behind on road repair work for many of our town roads. Town speed, stop and street signs are also in need of repair or replacement. This is state mandated. There is a timeline to get this work done. This could be one place we could use the CapX2020 annual payment of $72,800 in the future.

The Parks Committee would like to improve our parks by putting in more equipment, shelters and signage. I would propose using the one time CAPX2020 money in the mount of $615,540 to help improve parks. To keep taxes down, a portion of this money should also be used to pay off the Holland Sand Prairie.

And in the paper in Minnesota (and while reading this, don’t forget the Xcel smashing success in slashing utility personal property tax in half or more since the 1994 Prairie Island agreement, grrrrrrrrrrrrr). from the St. Cloud Times:

CapX 2020 line bumps up area property tax revenues

The new CapX 2020 transmission line cutting across Stearns County also is generating property tax dollars to local governments.

Northern States Power, an Xcel Energy company, is the top property taxpayer in the county, replacing Crossroads owner St. Cloud Mall LLC, which had long held the top spot. Xcel is one of the utilities building the CapX line from Monticello to Fargo, N.D.

NSP will pay $3.3 million in property taxes this year on Stearns County property with a total estimated market value of $93.7 million, according to a report from the county assessor’s office. That’s up from $2.7 million in taxes paid last year.

The transmission line already is operating between Monticello and St. Cloud. Construction is underway on the stretch between Fargo and St. Cloud.

The route follows Interstate Highway 94 from Fargo to Sauk Centre, then veers south near Freeport before connecting to a new substation in St. Cloud.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue calculates the property value of utilities such as power plants and transmission lines based on their cost and the amount of income they generate. The amount of property taxes paid by Xcel next year will increase more as the remainder of the line is completed, County Assessor Gary Grossinger said.

The other taxpayers in the top 10 are CentraCare Health, Minnesota Pipeline Co., Wal-Mart, Coborn’s, St. Cloud Medical Group, IRET Properties, Cold Spring Granite Co. and Great River Energy.