Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe begins process to turn Isle property from fee to trust

City unanimously objects to Band’s application

The Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C. gave notice to the City of Isle that the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe applied to place 21 parcels, also known as the Holmberg property located on the east side of Isle, into trust land and off the tax rolls. A letter submitted by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), dated July 25, 2019, was submitted to the City of Isle and included in the council packet at the Aug. 13 city council meeting. The 21 parcels equal approximately 40 acres of land and approximately $16,584.92 off the city’s tax rolls (per the current tax capacity value) should the application be approved with a total of $40,170 in taxes between the county, city, school, Region 7E, and special taxing district (sewer and solid waste). This parcel is approximately 3 percent of the city’s total levy, but this trust land application may be foreshadowing the broader action of turning the original 64,000 acres of reservation property, in which Isle is located, into trust land, an issue that is currently being litigated in federal court.

https://www.messagemedia.co/millelacs/news/government_meetings/mille-lacs-band-of-ojibwe-begins-process-to-turn-isle/article_c0e1544e-c34d-11e9-acb8-9b1a7b9d3d9b.html