ERIC Number: ED183346
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1972
Pages: 43
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Rural Townships in Minnesota: Focus on the Southwest.
Obrecht, Karl A.
The history, current issues and future potential of rural township government today were the central focus of a 1972 survey of 18 townships in 6 southwestern Minnesota counties. Survey methodology included personal interviews with both residents and township officers, mailed questionnaires, and attendance at board meetings of the Minnesota Association of Township Officers as well as at other types of community meetings. Rural residents were found to hold very positive attitudes toward their local governments, but they were afraid of outside forces and powers that were threatening to discontinue or limit their powers. Annexation was the paramount concern, voiced in terms of the need for area residents to be able to override outside decisions concerning annexation, and the fear of the added tax burden imposed by municipal annexation. Second only to annexation was residents' desire to retain local assessors for tax assessment. Rural township residents were very concerned about the preservation of local initiative, especially when environmental regulations, safety regulations, and development plans indicated disregard for the concerns and life styles of area residents. Other concerns involved service delivery systems, alternative revenue systems, and statewide organization activities. The final portion of this report deals with planning for the future of Minnesota's township governments through the use of regional commissions. (DS)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Minnesota State Coll. System, Marshall.; Southwest Minnesota Coll. Foundation, Marshall.; Minnesota Association of Township Officers, Marshall.
Authoring Institution: Southwest State Univ., Marshall, Minn.
Identifiers - Location: Minnesota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A