BRAINERD — The issue of payments from Brainerd’s utility department to the city remains up in the air until questions can be answered by an attorney.

The Brainerd Public Utilities Commission tabled the issue of the city’s PILOT program during a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

PILOT stands for payment in lieu of taxes and allows municipalities to collect funds from utility departments, which are exempt from taxes, to pay for essential services like police, fire and roads. Per city policy, the BPU currently pays $0.0045 per kilowatt hour for most usage in the city and $0.0025 per kilowatt hour for industrial usage.

Current trends see electric sales decreasing but revenues increasing, prompting a discussion about the issue at the City Council level. During this year’s American Public Power A

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