More gravel than ever removed from Rock County pits in 2020

More aggregate and gravel were removed from Rock County in 2020 than ever before, topping the 10-year high recorded last year.
Rock County Auditor-Treasurer Ashley Kurtz released the amounts Jan. 5.
The $189,969 collected is based on the reports submitted by the 12 permitted operators in Rock County. The 2020 tax amount is more than $43,500 higher than the previous tax amount of $146,373, and is the highest amount collected in the past 10 years.
Of the dozen permitted operators, eight were active in 2020. Each paid the 15-cents-per-ton tax to remove the material.
The tax collected was split as follows: county road and bridge fund $76,660, special reserve fund $27,056, townships $76,660, and administrative fees $9,593.
The 2020 township amount of $7,600 is divided among five townships, based on where the aggregate and gravel originated.
Denver Township received the highest amount ($26,337) followed by the townships of Mound ($17,125), Battle Plain ($16,220), Vienna ($11,595) and Luverne ($4,905).
The remaining townships of Beaver Creek, Kanaranzi, Magnolia, Martin, Rose Dell and Springwater each received $500 from the administrative fund to offset the gravel tax expenditure. Clinton Township received about $300 to even out the tax collection of about $200 in 2020.
Bremik Materials Inc. paid the highest tax ($65,231) followed by Northern Con-Agg LLP ($41,135), Buffalo Ridge Concrete ($20,933), Jeff Pronk ($19,241), W & N Construction ($12,148), Reker Construction ($11,840), Henning Construction ($11,801), and Central Specialties ($7,540).