Roscoe Streyle

Minot

There’s an old saying that goes like this: Most people mess up something good by looking for something better, just to end up with something worse.

Let’s hope that doesn’t happen with the good thing the North Dakota House of Representatives just sent to the Senate – legislation that would cut property tax bills by $1,450 per year for the next two years, with that amount climbing every biennium until most North Dakota homeowners won’t be paying any property tax at all.

Having served in the House, I’ve been watching the debate on the property tax relief/reform bill, HB 1176, which incorporates a lot of Governor Armstrong’s property tax plan.

Even though it’s $100 less than what Armstrong proposed, the tax relief on primary residences is substantial. But what’s even more important is the 3% cap on local property tax budgets for cities, counties, school districts and other political subs.

We need a cap to hold down spending in Minot and other cities in North Dakota before our high property taxes start pricing people out of their homes.

For smaller communities worrying that the cap won’t leave enough wiggle room in their small budgets, HB1176 allows them to get a four-year exemption from the cap with a simple majority vote of their citizens.

That’s local control, and it should send a message to our local leaders: If you can’t convince your residents that you need to grow your budget over 3% a year, you probably don’t need to do it.

The House passed a good plan. Let’s hope the Senate accepts this “something good” and sends the bill to Governor Armstrong’s desk as soon as possible.