<span class="caption-text">Governor Kelly Armstrong has his plan laid out for addressing property taxes, but it faces a contentious battle once it’s proposed.</span>
BISMARCK, N.D. (KUMV) – Governor Kelly Armstrong has his plan laid out for addressing property taxes, but it faces a contentious battle once it’s proposed.
Top lawmakers say it’s a good start, but there’s a lot that will have to be debated, including capping tax increases for local governments. There are also several other proposals that will go through the Appropriations and Finance and Taxation Committees.
Property taxes will be the biggest issue tackled during the legislative session. Armstrong’s proposal for relief and reform has kicked off its discussion.
“The governor brought forward a really reasonable plan that’s going to make a meaningful and sustainable difference for the residents of North Dakota,” said Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
That plan will compete with several other bills, each with its own way of providing relief.
“I’m sure there’ll be some refinements that legislators will bring to that project, and there’s another 50 bills to look at,” said Rep. Don Vigesaa, R-Cooperstown, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
The reform, capping local governments from increasing taxes over a certain period, may face the toughest scrutiny.
“You have some political subdivisions with very high taxable value, and you have communities with low taxable value, so when we apply caps, the debate will be on the details, and no one size will fit all,” said Sen. Mark Weber, R-Casselton, chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee.
Lawmakers said that regardless of the amount, caps will be necessary to provide any relief going forward.
“I’ve always opposed the caps, but it’s gotten to the point where we just can’t make a meaningful difference in people’s tax bills anymore without putting some restraint on local spending. I think we can all manage through that, to be honest,” said Bekkedahl.
Another issue will be the use of Legacy Fund dollars and whether some lawmakers are willing to spend from it to provide tax credits.
The expectation is that hearings on these property tax bills will begin later this month.
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