But discussion often turned to taxes and the Pequot Lakes business climate.

George Johnson, owner of Beautiful Antiques on Government Drive, said his building has been for sale for two years because he and his wife want to retire.

"We're reopening because there's no market in Pequot Lakes," he said. "Whatever's been going on here has been very detrimental to business and it's going to be a ghost town."

Elaine Yablonsky, owner of Boardwalk Scoops and Victorian Gardens on Government Drive, said high taxes are detrimental to business owners.

"When I went into business, I wanted to break even," she said. "I did it because I wanted to create some beauty. I wanted to make people happy. I thought I had nothing to lose."

High taxes are killing her business, she said.

"It's totally and completely impossible to have a seasonal business," Yablonsky said. "I'm open four months of the year. I'm losing out of pocket every time I open that door."

Thus, her business is for sale, though it is still open.

Business owners questioned why so many commercial properties are for sale in the city, and none is selling.

Some blamed it on the decision to have an expanded Highway 371 go east of downtown Pequot Lakes instead of along the current route through the city. They also blamed high taxes.

Darrel Olson, Crow Wing County appraiser for the Pequot Lakes area, talked about assessed values vs. sales prices.

He noted the assessed value of Johnson's building was $500,000 and it was listed for sale for $700,000. Yablonsky's building's assessed value was $198,000 and it was listed for $279,000.

"I think they would sell if the listing price was closer to the assessed value," he said.

Johnson said, "The listing price is a mythical number. Nobody pays listing price; everybody knows that."