Bloomington Moves to Annex - Burnsville Plans to Fight
The Bloomington city council reached south across the Minnesota river Tuesday to annex the tax-rich Black Dog plant of Northern States Power Co'. (NSP) in Burnsville township.
It also initiated efforts to merge the remainder of Burnsville with Bloomington to form a 65-square-mile city that would be the largest in area in Minnesota.
Special census workers from Bloomington today began gathering detailed information the city will present to the Minnesota municipal commission—the three-man body that will rule on the proposed annexation of the township.
At the same time, they delivered leaflets explaining the proposal.
In a rapid-fire council session yesterday afternoon, the council:
Annexed the Black Dog plant on a 159-acre site on petition of NSP.
Voted to petition the commission for the merger. Invited Burnsville to join in the petition.
Slashed the city portion of the Bloomington mill rate
in half—from 50 to 22 mills—on taxes payable in 1962.
Agreed to finance street maintenance and street light ing in the future from front-foot assessments rather than from general property taxes.
Proposed that citizens committees from both communities explore every facet of the proposal, including disadvantages as well as advantages of consolidation.
The Bloomington proposal was a well-guarded secret for nearly a year while discussions with NSP and quiet planning went on behind the scenes.
Burnsville officials were not consulted.
