Sales Tax Increase Could Lead to More Recreation Opportunities

New recreation opportunities could soon be increasing in Hermantown.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – New recreation opportunities could soon be increasing in Hermantown.

With a small sales tax increase, the city is hoping to get the Community Recreation Initiative off the ground.

If approved, it could include the completion of a city-wide trail system that would eventually connect through Proctor and Hermantown down to the Munger Trail. It would also reimagine Fichtner Park and its baseball field, softball field, basketball courts, and playgrounds.

Finally, it would add an additional sheet of indoor ice at the hockey arena.

“It’s such a phenomenal community to raise a family or to be young and vibrant or to continuing the end of your life pieces and still be active in the community, so there aren’t a lot of high-quality facilities in our area to be able to support that and this would be a major step in those pieces,” said Joe Wicklund, the communications and community engagement director with the city of Hermantown.

The different renovations and reconstructions would be paid for by a ½ percent increase in sales tax in the city of Hermantown. The city is currently making requests to the legislature to have permission to ask constituents and residents to put this sales tax on the ballot in November of 2022.