Since 2012, there have been contested property tax issues regarding Enbridge’s pipelines in Minnesota, including Line 3. Today, legislation was passed that allows the state to pay overcharged taxes that were initially going to be the responsibility of individual counties and townships.

The tax bill contains a provision that will assist 13 counties in the payback of a tax refund order of seven years of overtax assessments on pipelines by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The assessments are made by the state and not the counties individually.

The bill also includes a look on how to better assess large-scale projects that is more dependable and less strain on counties.

By — Betsy Melin