Flood Buyouts Disputed In Moorhead
MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) -- The ongoing effort to remove private property from flood-prone land along the Red River has hit a snag in Moorhead as residents complain about below-market offers for their land.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reports several residents of the Crestwood neighborhood say they feel short-changed by offers from Clay County.
The county is offering 87.5 percent of the highest market value in the last three years for the 18 Crestwood properties and 13 others in the county.
In comparison, other local governments have offered 108 percent or more of a property's market value for similar buyouts.
County leaders say the offers are fair because the county isn't buying the land to build flood protection to benefit other residents and the county facing its own budget problems.
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