Why Can’t We Be More Like North Dakota…At Least When It Comes to Property Taxes?
Topic: Property Tax Administration
Thursday, 21 June 2012 by David H. LeVan
Loading ...North Dakota held a historic vote last week to decide whether they would become the first state to abolish property taxes completely. Yes, at a time when most states are looking to increase taxes, North Dakota was looking to eliminate property taxes altogether. The measure was defeated and property taxes will continue. However, the state still has hundreds of millions in surplus funds, and that surplus is likely to continue growing.
So now North Dakota is debating how to provide property tax relief (short of eliminating it altogether). Do they have the state foot the whole bill for education, relieving local jurisdictions of the responsibility? Do they increase the homestead tax credit? How about placing a cap on property tax increases? All of these questions revolve around the question, how do we get more money back into the taxpayer’s hands? Now, that would be an exciting discussion!
And, by the way, this would be the fourth round of property tax relief for North Dakota since 2007! The first three rounds totaled about $700 million in property tax reductions, which averages about 15-20% in reductions for property owners across the state.
As most of you know, I live in Illinois. We’re $9 billion in debt and my property taxes just increased again. Why can’t we be more like North Dakota, at least when it comes to property taxes? Is that just wishful thinking or downright envy?
Friday, 22 June 2012 by S. Holzschuh
The energy boom in North Dakota has left some seniors on the streets looking for housing after they were kicked out of their affordable apartments or rental homes that some had lived in for decades. Many have been forced to move out of these communities they have called home their whole lives. The price of rentals (if available), and single family homes is skyrocketing. Man camps are being built on locations outside city limits to avoid code violations, and the quality of life for those who raised families there is suffering greatly. Be careful for what you wish for. There is a dark side to the surplus you mention in some of the hottest energy states.