Governor Mark Dayton Visits the Iron Range

Community Leaders Discussed Important Regional Projects with the Governor

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton was on the Iron Range Wednesday.

The Governor met with community leaders about issues important to Northern Minnesota.

Increasing local government aid, funding various bonding projects, and moving the Polymet project forward were some of the important issues discussed with Governor Dayton.

The Range Association for Municipalities and Schools, or RAMS, held their annual meeting tonight in Mountain Iron.

They were thrilled to have the Governor and the Range Legislative Delegation there to learn first hand about the daily struggles of Iron Rangers.

“It gives him the opportunity to hear directly from our local elected officials their concerns and their communities and how hard it is for us with declining populations, not a lot of job growth until we get something like a Polymet,” said Steve Giorgi, Executive Director of RAMS.

The RAMS delegates want an increase to technical education funding and a focus on bringing families back to the Range by finding more economic opportunities.

“The more industry partners we can have to work collaboratively, whether that means bringing them up here and providing tax incentives, tax breaks, whatever we can do to help get industry up here,” said Kim McLaughlin, a Hibbing School Board Member who is also part of RAMS.

Iron Rangers hope the state government will help put some of their issues high on their list of priorities.

Governor Dayton also had a closed door meeting with local mayors at the IRRRB office in Eveleth.