Derrick LaPointe
MOORHEAD (KFGO/KVRR) — Concerned Moorhead residents and those working in charitable gaming heard from their elected officials and business leaders on the recent land purchase by the White Earth Tribe.
The land in question is a 280-acre lot near Interstate 94 and Highway 336. The community has speculated the tribe could build a casino on the land or use it to grow marijuana.
Many in the crowd worked in the charitable gaming community and voiced their concerns on the loss of tax revenue they feared the city would face.
The panel answered the questions, but most of the answers were that they simply don’t know yet, as the tribe has only requested a letter of support from the county.
The panel asked those in the audience what questions they would like them to ask the tribe when they request the letter in the next county commission meeting.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen. What I do know is the process follows roughly along these lines: the Department of the Interior and the governor of the state of Minnesota, as an early step on this, must agree to put the land in trust,” said Clay County Commissioner David Ebinger.
Derrick LaPointe of Downtown Moorhead, Inc. said he can’t promise anything at this point.
“What we’ve also been told is that there’s not just, ‘we’re not paying no taxes,’ but there would be a community benefit in lieu of taxes to support the community as well,” said LaPointe.
More meetings are planned in the near future on the land deal.
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