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City of Duluth

Mountain Lion spotted in Duluth
Duluth Police Department. Submitted

Mountain Lion spotted in Duluth

"As with any wild animal, we want to remind the community that you should exercise caution in their presence and never approach them." -- Duluth Police Department

Members Public
1 MIN READ
Salinas new city finance director
Salinas. Submitted

Salinas new city finance director

She most recently served as chief administrative officer for the City of San Antonio’s Council District 6, overseeing constituent services, zoning, public works and community outreach. She supported the district’s review of the city’s $4 billion annual budget and worked across multiple departments.

Members Public
2 MIN READ
City of Duluth, Minnesota Power issue Wednesday morning update on snow operations
Howie / HowieHanson.com

City of Duluth, Minnesota Power issue Wednesday morning update on snow operations

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth residents woke up Wednesday to widely varying snow totals, with depths ranging from about four inches of compacted snow to more than ten inches in areas where drifting occurred. The heaviest snowfall came during the early morning hours. Snow continued moving east by daybreak, and the National

Members Public
2 MIN READ
Howie: The city budget they don't want you to understand
Enger Park Golf Course. 2025 season. Howie / HowieHanson.com

Howie: The city budget they don't want you to understand

Local Government Aid alone covers nearly $35 million, about one-third of the budget. It’s the difference between black ink and red. Lose even 5 percent of that aid, and Duluth’s “balanced” budget implodes by millions. That’s not financial strength — that’s dependence disguised as stability.

Members Public
7 MIN READ

Howie: Lot D optics in motion

Duluth’s short-term goal is tactical — keep Inland’s exclusivity alive, hit the paperwork milestones, and convince the Legislature to fund the $10.85 million in site-prep money the city calls the key that unlocks $250 million in private investment.

Members Public
3 MIN READ
Howie: City of Duluth levy up 52% in eight years
Downtown Duluth. Howie / HowieHanson.com

Howie: City of Duluth levy up 52% in eight years

In 2025, for instance, they raised the levy by 1.85 percent but declared it a “0 percent” year for current taxpayers because new development supposedly absorbed the increase. But that’s a shell game. The levy still grew by nearly $800,000.

Members Public
4 MIN READ
Quote Me: Roger Reinert on his 2026 budget proposal
Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert. Howie / HowieHanson.com

Quote Me: Roger Reinert on his 2026 budget proposal

"After reviewing the City’s finances, community needs, and individual economic realities, I have proposed a 2.7% inflation-only maximum levy for 2026." -- Reinert

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2 MIN READ

City News

Duluth will spotlight jobs and training this week as Mayor Roger Reinert proclaims Wednesday Workforce Development Day in the city. The declaration comes during Workforce Development Month, a statewide effort to highlight the programs and partnerships that connect Minnesotans to careers. Reinert will read the proclamation at a 1 p.

Members Public
1 MIN READ
Howie: Reinert’s 2026 budget faces test of tax promise
The current 2025 budget swelled to a record $474 million in spending even as the General Fund slid to $109 million, with the property-tax levy climbing to $43.4 million — a 13 percent jump from just three years earlier. On paper, Duluth has never spent more. Howie / HowieHanson.com

Howie: Reinert’s 2026 budget faces test of tax promise

A windfall of state aid helped soften the edges. Local Government Aid jumped by $4.4 million in 2024, the largest increase in more than two decades and the equivalent of a double-digit property-tax hike. The city collected $35.2 million in aid in 2025, nearly one-third of its General Fund.

Members Public
3 MIN READ

Howie: Duluth firefighters honored in ceremony of service

Public ceremonies like this one don’t always make the evening news. But they should. They are checkpoints in the life of a department that few of us notice until a siren wails down our street or a medic kneels over a loved one.

Members Public
4 MIN READ
Study: Duluth needs 8,700 new housing units over next decade
Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert. Howie / HowieHanson.com

Study: Duluth needs 8,700 new housing units over next decade

“For us to reach 90,000 residents by 2030, we must get serious about housing at all income levels — especially mid-market and for-purchase. We need all the options in all of Duluth’s neighborhoods, including downtown, and that means condos, townhouses, and more.” -- Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert

Members Public
2 MIN READ