Minnesota mayor demands billionaire heiress 'be mindful of housing' after she snapped up THIRTEEN homes and 22 parcels of land in sleepy beach town - as he jokes about her brutal Wall Street Journal takedown of him

The wife of a Minnesota billionaire has become the target of fury for local lawmakers after snapping up 13 homes and 22 plots of land in a sleepy seaside neighborhood.

Kathy Cargill raised suspicion when she began buying properties on Park Point, a sandbar stretching between Lake Superior and Duluth Harbor, in June 2023.

The properties were purchased on her behalf by North Shore LS, LLC., for far more than their assessed values. Several of the homes have since been demolished, described by Cargill as 'pieces of crap.'

Amid a housing shortage in the city of Duluth, the move was not well-received. The feud reached a fever pitch when Cargill unleashed scathing criticism on the mayor and the community at large in a Wall Street Journal piece last month.

Mayor Roger Reinert has declined to respond to Cargill directly. But in a statement he said, 'We need to be mindful of housing. We’re talking every day about how we can add to the inventory, and we’re going to remain vigilant on that issue.'

Kathy Cargill bought 13 homes and 22 parcels of land in Park Point, Minnesota, but swiftly rolled back her plans to 'beautify' the neighborhood when local officials grew suspicious

Local leaders have vowed to protect local beach access in the face of Cargill's plans to make her $2.5 million vacation home at 4202 Minnesota Avenue 'even more private than it is'

The wife of billionaire James R. Cargill II has refused to share her vision for the properties. Nine homes have already been demolished and three have been permitted for demolition

The rivalry began in earnest when Reinert wrote to the billionaire asking her to share her plans for the 13 homes and 22 parcels of land. Nine of the homes have already been demolished and three have been permitted for demolition.

'Any loss of residential housing is not helpful,' he wrote, requesting that she or her representatives meet with city staff and members of the Park Point Community Club.

Cargill appeared to turn up her nose at the community in the Wall Street Journal article, which was published on March 23.

She claimed her original plans were to enhance the neighborhood with pickleball courts and a coffee shop, but she had since changed her mind.

'The good plans that I have down there for beautifying, updating and fixing up Park Point park or putting up that sports court, forget it,' she said.

 'There’s another community out there with more welcoming people than that small-minded community.'

As for the mayor, Cargill professed he 'kind of peed in his Cheerios' by questioning her motives, 'and definitely I’m not going to do anything to benefit that community.'

The Wisconsin native is married to James R. Cargill II, one of 12 heirs to agricultural giant Cargill. At the time of writing, Forbes estimated her husband's net worth at around $4.6 billion.

After Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert asked Cargill to shed light on her plans, the billionaire unleashed scathing criticism on him in a Wall Street Journal piece

She referred to the community as 'small-minded' and asserted Reinert had 'peed in his Cheerios' by questioning her 

Among the purchases is a swathe of land at 1314 Minnesota Avenue. Many of the homes were purchased for far above their assessed value

1239 Minnesota Av was purchased for $500,000 although it was appraised at only $239,500. Up the street, 1221 Minnesota Avenue was purchased for $300,000

While the couple lead a private life, Cargill was seen in a 2019 video showing off her pricey collection of McLaren supercars.

Reinert slyly responded to her jab in a tweet the next day, captioning a photo of his breakfast, 'For the record... I'm more of pancakes guy. #IYKYK.'

The 'Cheerios' comment proved to have an even wider impact, as hundreds of boxes of cereal were collected at a city food drive in the following days.

Dubbed the 'Cheerio Challenge,' the campaign also raked in an estimated $50,000 and contributions from states as far as Florida and California.

Reinert himself was photographed posing with a box of cereal at the drop-off spot.

'Rather than pee in our Cheerios, we're going to collect Cheerios and give them to those in need,' event organizer Chad McKenna said in a promotional video posted to Facebook.

Project Joy, a Northland-based nonprofit, donated $20,000. That money was split equally between the Salvation Army, Chum Center, Damiano Center and Union Gospel Mission.

Seth Currier, executive director of the Damiano Center, called the turnout a 'beautiful thing.'

Speaking to the Star Tribune, Currier praised the community for being 'so creative' and '(taking) something that is getting a lot of attention and (turning) it into specific organizing, specific targeted donations that the whole community can get behind.'

In the wake of Cargill's 'Cheerios' comments, locals banded together to donate boxes of cereal to a local food drive dubbed the 'Cheerio Challenge'

Reinert (far left, back) was among the politicians photographed with a box of Cheerios at the drop-off location

Other locals have been more forthcoming, including those who strung a banner reading 'It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice' along Minnesota Avenue

Other locals, meanwhile, have expressed their distaste with Cargill's remarks in a more straightforward fashion.

This includes a banner strung up along a fence on the 2900 block of Minnesota Avenue, where Cargill owns several properties.

'It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice,' read the banner, which was swiftly removed.

Roz Ranford, 3rd District City Councilor and Park Point representative, says the city attorney has recommended officials avoid prodding the billionaire any further.

She and Reinert have vowed to protect public beach access in the face of Cargill's plans to make her $2.5 million Park Point vacation home 'even more private than it is.'

The feud continues, as Cargill has yet to communicate directly with the city.