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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth Communications Office
Mayor Roger J. Reinert
411 West First Street • Duluth, Minnesota 55802 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information, please call 218-730-5309
DATE: 3/24/2026
SUBJECT: Mayor Roger J. Reinert delivers State of the City address
BY: Kelli Latuska, Public Information Officer

Mayor Roger J. Reinert delivers State of the City address

 

 

 

 

[DULUTH, MN] Mayor Roger J. Reinert, Duluth’s 40th mayor, provided his 2026 State of the City address on Tuesday evening at the Lincoln Park Middle School auditorium.   

 

“Duluth is strong, but the state of our city is being tested,” said Mayor Reinert. “It’s being tested by serious underlying fiscal challenges that have been building for years. It’s also being tested by a growing lack of trust in institutions, the spread of misinformation, and challenging behavior in our public spaces.”

 

Mayor Reinert’s address provided a look back at the City’s accomplishments over the past year on the “Five Big Issues.” “They were the big issues that brought me into office and continue to be the strategic priorities of this administration,” said Reinert.

  • Housing at all income levels
  • Growing our commercial tax base
  • Streets and Utilities
  • Downtown Duluth
  • Affordable property taxes

 

2025 Highlights for the Five Big Issues: 

  • Housing accomplishments: 799 new units with 70% being market-rate.
  • Growth in commercial tax base: $300M investment by Sofidel
  • Street maintenance and utilities: 36 miles of street construction, rehabilitation, and preservation. 2400 lead service replacements.
  • Downtown Duluth: Deconstruction of the Kozy and Shoppers Ramp properties. Launch of the Imagine Downtown Duluth plan. 
  • Affordable Property Taxes: First 0% levy in a decade and 3.4% levy for 2026 despite $7.3 million budget deficit.

 

Key points previewed for 2026 include: 

  • Housing: Additional 300 housing units coming online by summer.
  • Growth in commercial tax base: Construction expected to begin this season on the Lot D site development.
  • Street Maintenance and Utilities: 15 additional miles of street repair and an additional 2500 lead service line replacements. 
  • Downtown Duluth: $100M Lakeview 333 project to open, and planned expansion of the Regional Exchange (hospital) District to include First Street west to Lake Avenue.
  • Affordable Property Taxes: The City is facing a $5.5M budget shortfall for 2025, and an additional $3.2M for 2028. Current economic conditions may grow both figures.

 

In addressing the City’s significant budget challenges, Mayor Reinert said, “The challenges that Duluth faces are real. The math is real. The decisions we need to make will not be easy. We will either pay substantially more for things, or we will do far fewer things. But status quo is not an option. There is simply no property tax levy big enough. Continuing to do what we’ve always done, in the way we’ve always done it may be the easy button but that’s the wrong button to push.”

 

 

Also announced at the 2026 State of the City: 

  • The new City of Duluth mobile app will provide improved engagement opportunities for Duluth residents. The app will replace the current Resident Problem Reporter web-based system.
  • An invitation by Mayor Reinert to participate in a community read of Strong Towns by Charles Marohn. The mayor’s goal is to have the author in Duluth this fall to lead a Duluth discussion.

 

Mayor Reinert also recognized three individuals for excellence in community service via the Good Neighbor Award, Citizen of the Year Award, and the Clarence Maddy (City employee of the Year) Award. The Good Neighbor Award recipient for 2026 is Donvita Kennedy, with honorable mentions going to several other outstanding residents.  The 2026 Citizen of the Year was awarded to Sandy Winklesky. The Clarence Maddy Award for 2026 was given to Senior Property Services Specialist Danielle Erjavec. All award recipients were honored for their contributions to the City and the community.

 

 

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