BISMARCK, ND (KFYR) – A constitutional bill to eliminate property taxes in North Dakota will go on the ballot in November, where voters can decide whether to pass it. Many representatives from both parties have spoken out about the bill, including Governor Doug Burgum.

Governor Burgum appeared in Williston last week to discuss housing challenges in the northwestern part of the state, but also discussed the new property tax measure that will be on the ballot in November.

Burgum said if this measure passes, there will be the biggest chaos North Dakota has ever seen.

He said he’s not saying property taxes aren’t an issue, but if you farm and you eliminate that one-time expense of property taxes, money from other states will flow into North Dakota to buy farmland with no property or income tax. Burgum said if you’re an American and you live in another state, you can buy farmland in North Dakota and there’s nothing stopping you.

“The whole thing is a bizarre ideological issue that makes no economic sense. It is obviously unfair because if we said we were going to abolish the income tax, then everyone in the state who has a certain income would pay the same amount of tax,” Burgum said.

Burgum said this could destroy everything that has been built in North Dakota over the last decade in terms of fair and smart investments in economic development.

Burgum said what was unfair was that it would be codified at the most absurd level and then no one would really understand why it was different across the state.

Previous reporting: ND Foreign Minister approves constitutional initiative to abolish property tax

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