Royalton Township resident tells Pine County board she heard threats of lawsuits and a possible $100,000 bribe over a cannabis ordinance

At the Pine County Board meeting on May 20, Royalton Township resident Denise Weiss addressed the board during public forum and urged county officials to look into alleged intimidation and what she called a bribe tied to a township cannabis ordinance.

Weiss described a recent Royalton Township meeting in which supervisors were reportedly told they would receive "1% of their net revenue, which would have been about a hundred thousand dollars" if they passed a proposed ordinance. "To me, that's a bribe," Weiss said, describing the township's roughly $300,000 annual budget and asking what avenues citizens have when such offers or intimidation arise.

She told the board she had reviewed earlier drafts of Pine County zoning and county guidance, including recommendations from the Minnesota Association of Counties and zoning material from the Office of Cannabis Management that had changed between drafts. Weiss asked the county to review how the township came to its decision and asked County Administrator Dave Mankie or other staff to advise residents on possible recourse. "I hope that there was no bribes that happened and that how you guys came to your conclusion wasn't based on lawsuits or bribes," she said.

Why it matters: the comment asks county officials to clarify oversight options when a township's decision has raised allegations of intimidation or improper influence. Commissioners did not take action during the meeting; Weiss asked to be contacted with any suggestions.

No formal county investigation or motion was announced on the record at the meeting.