This past fall my wife and I moved to Freeborn County from central Illinois. My wife has family in the area and that was a large draw, but where to locate was a tough decision. We choose Albert Lea for several main reasons, but the beauty of the lakes and the recreation opportunities it presented simplified the decision.

No one likes taxes. As a small business owner, I really hate them. It pains me what I pay personally, what my employees pay out of every paycheck and the increased costs of goods and services. It has almost become a game to me to see how much of every meal, every item bought goes to some government entity.

Oftentimes those dollars seem to disappear, but occasionally you see the results. Albert Lea is and will be defined by the quality of its area lakes. If you think times are tough economically now for Albert Lea, imagine if those large lakes are green and stinky.

Conversation of the watershed district takes everyone’s efforts. Area farmers have invested in better water drainage practices, the city and county have helped move projects forward and the citizens passed a sales tax to help fund the project.

This project is too vital to the future of Albert Lea to quit in the middle. I encourage the Albert Lea City Council to extend the sales tax. I encourage area legislative members and the governor to secure the needed funds.

 

Brian Hensley

Albert Lea