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Vadnais fire station bonds face reversal after citizen outcry JACKIE BUSSJAEGER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
VADNAIS HEIGHTS – It will take more than a firehose to put out the blaze of outrage among Vadnais Heights citizens who say that a proposed fire station places an unfair tax burden on residents. Earlier in May, the council held a public hearing and voted to issue $33.3 million in Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) bonds to replace the city’s south fire station with a new station that better accommodates updated equipment, building systems, and health and safety measures for firefighters. By the time the bonds terminate in 2047, the city will have paid an estimated $54.5 million in combined principal and interest. In order to pay back these bonds, the city plans to levy a gradually increasing property tax. According to tax impact estimates available on the city website, a median household may start off at a $3 per month ($45 per year) and pay $35 per month ($418 per year) by 2034. Members of the public expressed concern that the tax increases required to fund the station will create financial hardship for Vadnais Heights residents: especially for retired and aging individuals who may be on a fixed income or looking to sell in the near future. Citizens have put forward a petition to allow the matter to go to a public vote in this year’s elections, and the city is girding itself for the challenge by hiring a law firm and communications consultant to aid in the legal and public messaging aspects of the
PHOTOS BY SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Turning tassels, chasing dreams And they are off. White Bear Lake Area High School seniors have picked up their diplomas and turned their tassels from right to left. With diplomas in hand, members of the Class of 2026 will prepare to pursue their individual paths, from universities and trade schools to military service, the workforce and other opportunities yet to be discovered.
SEE FIRE STATION, PAGE 8
White Bear Lake graduates look ahead with optimism The following three speeches were given at White Bear Lake Area High School’s graduation ceremony Thursday, June 4 in the stadium. Finnian Rourke McVeigh Class of ‘26… Make some noise!!! We’ve done it! We’re here! Whether you’ve been in the school district 13 years, 13 days, or anywhere in between, this is the moment everything has been building towards. And I mean everything. Every school dance, every math quiz, every spicy chicken sandwich, has made this moment what it is. But the most important part, of course, has been us. All of us,
The class of hardworking, fun, and kind people in front of me. The teachers who taught us life and academic lessons at the same time, the coaches and advisors, the amazing nutrition service staff, the paraprofessionals and administrators, the custodians who keep a building used by more than 2,700 people every day clean and safe, the school board, the student support staff; everyone, from our principal who we see daily, to the district center office staff who we might never have met, have helped us get to where we are now. And of course, let's not forget our parents and guardians. There are no words to
SEE SPEECHES, PAGE 7
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