Cloquet Exploring Scanlon Merge
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CLOQUET – Cloquet is looking into adding nearly a thousand more people to its population.The city is exploring annexing a local township that's right across the street.
Cloquet city officials tell FOX 21 they are taking a deeper look into securing the city's future and merging with Scanlon may be a part of that.
While this plan is at the beginning stages officials believe combining some of their services could be beneficial.
Cloquet also has a half cent sales tax that brings in anywhere from $60-$90,000 a month, a monetary generator Cloquet says could help both towns.
Additionally this annexation could bring in more Local Government Aid dollars.
"If it saves the taxpayers money maybe it's something that we should do,” Cloquet Mayor Bruce Ahlgren said. “If it doesn't then at least we've explored the possibility of it."
Scanlon’s Mayor Annette Bryant said in a statement: “We are open to it if we have increased interest and requests from our citizens to merge with Cloquet.""At that time we can have a special meeting to discuss the pros and cons if that were to happen.” “At that time we would be open to meet with the city of Cloquet.”
Mayor Ahlgren says he plans on meeting with Mayor Bryant to talk about the possibility of merging.
If the annexation is seriously considered, citizens from both communities would have to vote on the merge.