Was anyone other than its staunchest supporters truly surprised that Measure 2, which proposed to eliminate property taxes in North Dakota, was soundly rejected Tuesday by the state's voters?
No one should have been surprised, given that recent polls had the "no" vote pushing past 70 percent. Voters rejected Measure 2 by a wide margin on?Tuesday.
The measure had the potential to drastically alter the tax landscape of North?Dakota, and not necessarily in a good way. Absent property taxes, other taxes would have likely been raised to make up the difference in funding for schools, fire departments, police departments and other agencies, despite supporters' claims that property taxes could simply be replaced by money flowing into the state coffers from the booming oil industry.
Voters weren't buying it on Tuesday.
Don't get us wrong, there is a need for property tax reform in this state, and the issues should be a priority when the legislature meets in 2013. But Measure 2 was simply not the answer, and we're glad voters agreed.