On this date in 1999, The Forum compared Fargo and Moorhead’s economic competitiveness, noting that Moorhead had become more attractive for residents and businesses due to lower real estate costs and tax changes, despite higher Minnesota taxes, while Fargo faced challenges from rapid growth and a shrinking local labor pool.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

By Gerry Gilmour, John Sundvor and Janell Cole

If there’s a playing field on which Fargo and Moorhead compete daily for people and businesses, it is not as uneven as it once was.

Aided by years of prosperity, the state of Minnesota has been methodically using state budget surpluses to cut tax rates, and reduce workers compensation rates and other business disincentives. The prolonged prosperity that ha

See Full Page