FARGO, ND (Valley News Live) – The measure to eliminate North Dakota’s property tax will now officially be on the ballot in November. Those who want to keep the measure say those taxes fund important services like schools and public safety. Those who want to eliminate them say the government has enough money to fill the gaps.

Valley News Live recently told you how the North Dakota Primary Residence Credit is causing problems for homeowners. The bill’s language prevents some from receiving a $500 credit on their 2024 property taxes. State Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus says lawmakers will work on the bill’s language in the upcoming legislative session. That’s if there are any property taxes at all for North Dakota homeowners.

The group End Unfair Property Tax needed nearly 32,000 signatures to get the bill on the ballot, but more than 40,000 signatures were ultimately submitted to the State Capitol.

“They’ve had 364, 365 days to collect the signatures. I don’t think that’s a surprise. I mean, the hurdle is relatively low and they used the whole year to collect the signatures,” said Chad Oban, chairman of the Keep It Local Coalition.

Oban wants property taxes to stay. He worries about where the $1.3 billion to fund essential services will come from. Rick Becker of End Unfair Property Taxes says the government has the money.

“North Dakota is on track to generate $1.2 billion in additional revenue. Revenue they didn’t even anticipate. If you take half of that per year, that’s $600 million per year. Add to that the Legacy Fund income, that’s $200 million per year. So that only leaves $200 million that needs to be replaced,” Becker said.

Becker believes this can be achieved by cutting funding for private companies. Then we would neither lose services nor have to raise taxes.

“I think there’s frustration with the state, with property taxes. But the idea of ​​taking a sledgehammer and just saying, ‘They’re gone. Poof! They’re gone.’ We’re going to plug a $1.3 billion deficit hole without having a plan is not a real plan at all,” Oban added.

Keep It Local currently has more than 70 coalition members campaigning for people to vote against the measure. And for those who want to abolish the taxes:

“I would like to see a dialogue, a public forum, a debate. I would like to have a public discussion with those who oppose this measure, because what they are saying is wrong and it is easy to prove that it is wrong. The people of North Dakota have a right to hear both sides so they can figure out what they want,” Becker says.

The measure will be voted on on November 5.

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