These are some of the stories we’ve been following this week.

By Maryland GovPics. Mayor Pugh’s Inauguration. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A bill by Alaskan lawmakers that would make it easier to transfer contaminated properties is gaining traction in the Senate. The state is one of only seven in the country without an environmental covenant law.
  • Ann Arbor has the highest assessed total value of any city in Michigan. On the other hand, Detroit’s property values are 60.5 percent below their pre-recession levels.
  • Homes once used as drug labs can still cause health problems. Long after the homes are emptied, residual chemicals can remain and be detrimental to new residents.
  • New York City’s property tax system is complicated, and a new state bill would have the system studied in an effort to make the system more consistent and equal across the board.
  • Property taxes increased in areas of the United Kingdom that voted to leave the European Union.
  • Proponents of a $15 minimum wage are asking Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to sign the mandate into law. However, opponents argue it hurts local businesses. The mayor is expected to make her decision in the coming days.
  • Property owners in Winona, Minnesota are suing the city over its ban on mining silica sand. The sand is used in the hydraulic fracturing process. The sand, however, can be mined for other uses, such as construction.
  • Eminent domain is being used along the U.S.-Mexico border to acquire land for President Trump’s proposed wall, despite opposition from property owners. The administration defended using eminent domain, stating the wall would help protect the country.