Mayor Boucher Gives State Of City Address
For Immediate Release – January 30, 2020
Mayor Boucher Delivers State of City Address
Hermantown, Minn. – Wayne Boucher, Hermantown’s Mayor, delivered the State of the City Address Thursday afternoon at the Essentia Wellness Center. The annual event, hosted by the Hermantown Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Essentia Wellness Center for the first time. The $26 million facility is the largest single investment in Hermantown’s history and has surpassed expectations for community involvement in its first three months since opening in October.
Mayor Boucher’s speech focused on “responsibility” regarding what Hermantown’s local government already delivers for residents, families, and businesses. It also looked at what is possible to enter the City’s scope of responsibility as Hermantown continues to age and evolve as a community.
The combination of Hermantown’s 1975 founding coming much more recently than neighboring communities and the growth of the City over the past several years have helped push certain responsibilities to the forefront while holding others back. Boucher said that 2020 would feature key areas receiving greater attention than at any other point in the City’s 44-year history, including the beginning of a multi-year road improvement plan and the pursuit of sales tax funding focusing on community recreation initiatives. The Mayor noted other communities had previously added those types of improvements and experiences into their portfolio of local government, and that the time may be appropriate for Hermantown to embrace those responsibilities.
Hermantown’s City Council passed a resolution seeking approval from the Minnesota Legislature to add a question to the November ballot for a 0.5% sales tax increase at the January 21 meeting.
A third key 2020 project outlined by Mayor Boucher is the addition of a new trunk sewer line, which will help open up an undeveloped portion of the community to greater opportunities.
Thursday’s event marked the 10th consecutive State of the City Speech delivered by Mayor Boucher.
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For more information contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Relations Manager, City of Hermantown via e-mail at [email protected] or via phone at 218.729.3614.