Residents are petitioning under Minnesota Statute Chapter 410 to give Hermantown citizens a direct voice in how their city is governed.
Hermantown residents have experienced what happens when there are no structural guardrails on city power.
Residents received large road and utility assessment bills with little notice and no meaningful opportunity for public input before the decisions were finalized.
Requests for public records under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act have been delayed, deflected, or denied — making it impossible to hold officials accountable.
Under statutory city rules, residents have no guaranteed right to petition for a referendum on major decisions. A charter would enshrine that right.
Current law makes it extremely difficult to recall elected officials. A Home Rule Charter can establish clearer, fairer recall procedures.
A charter commission can write enforceable ethics rules, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and open-meeting requirements directly into Hermantown's governing document.
Non-disclosure agreements are tools of private business — not public government. When city officials sign NDAs about a development project, they legally bind themselves to hide information from the very residents they represent. That is a fundamental betrayal of the public trust, and it may violate Minnesota's open government laws.
City employees were reportedly blocked from discussing the data center project publicly. Public employees work for residents, not for developers. Gagging staff to protect a private deal prevents the internal scrutiny that catches bad decisions before they become expensive mistakes.
Rather than conducting an independent business impact analysis, the city appears to have relied on rosy projections supplied by the developer — the same talking points used in every city a large development approaches. Residents were never given an honest assessment of the risks: tax abatements, infrastructure strain, water and energy demands, and what happens if the developer walks away.
Proposed large-scale data center development has raised questions about land use, infrastructure costs, and long-term planning. A charter strengthens residents' voice on exactly these issues.
Outraged? Good. Your signature is how we fix this.
Add Your Name NowA citizen-led petition under Minnesota law to establish a Home Rule Charter for Hermantown.
A Home Rule Charter is a city's own constitution. It defines the structure of city government, the rights of residents, and the limits of city power — all drafted and approved by Hermantown residents, not state legislators.
Under Minnesota Statute § 410.05, residents can petition to establish a Charter Commission. We need valid signatures from at least 10% of Hermantown's registered voters. The commission then drafts a charter, which voters ratify in a public election.
This is a nonpartisan, volunteer-run citizen effort. No political party. No outside funding. Just Hermantown residents who want stronger local accountability.
We are targeting a petition filing by April 30, 2026. If you haven't signed yet, there is still time — but we need your help now.
Step 1 starts with you. Add your signature and ask a neighbor to do the same.
Follow our progress as we collect signatures and build momentum.
We filed our initial petition packet — 213 verified signatures — with the St. Louis County court as part of Case No. 69DU-CV-26-496. Collection continues through April.
Volunteers began circulating petition sheets at community events, neighborhood meetings, and door-to-door. Response from residents has been strong.
A group of Hermantown residents formally organized to pursue a Home Rule Charter petition under MN Statute Chapter 410.
Have a question? We've got answers.
Every action — no matter how small — brings Hermantown closer to real accountability.
⚠️ We urgently need volunteer signature collectors before April 30, 2026.
Have a story about Hermantown city government? A question about the charter effort? General feedback? We want to hear from you.
Share your experience with Hermantown city government. Your story — with your permission — may appear on this website to help persuade neighbors to sign.