Myron Orfield book coming on Twin Cities sprawl

Those interested in the Baldwin-Princeton annexation-incorporation debate should look for a new book coming soon from the University of Minnesota's Myron Orfield and Thomas Luce.

"Planning the Future of the Twin Cities" sets a framework for regional planning in the metro area, focusing on the seven-county area but including Sherburne and three other "collar" counties in some of the discussion.

Baldwin Township is at the very northern edge of this 11-county area but has been among the fastest growing by virtue of lying in the Highway 169 corridor, as the book's colorful maps show dramatically.

The authors note the vast number of local government entities in the Twin Cities and the substantial variation in tax and spending levels.

One tidbit: In 2004, the 172 cities in these 11 counties spent an average of $617 per person on services. The 97 townships spent an average of $145 per person, most heavily on public safety and transportation. Baldwin Township taxed at a lower percentage of its total tax capacity than did its township neighbors, the study shows.

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