North Dakota voters will decide in November whether to eliminate property taxes. The change would be a first for a state and a major move.

North Dakota voters will decide this fall whether to eliminate property taxes in what would be a first for a state and a major change that officials initially estimate would require more than $1 billion every year in replacement revenue.

Secretary of State Michael Howe’s office said Friday that backers submitted more than enough signatures to qualify the constitutional initiative for the November general election. Voters rejected a similar measure in 2012.

Property taxes are the base funding for numerous local government services, including sewers, water, roads, jails, deputies, school building construction and teacher salaries — “pretty much the most basic of government,” said North Dakota Association of Counties Executive Director Aaron Birst.

  • exanime@lemmy.world
    4·
    4 months ago

    But you have to compare it in context.

    In Canada, Alberta has no sales tax because they make so much money from oil. In normal conditions and with a working government that is not idiotic, such a system could work. However they have a stupid government that only does this to buy votes so when oil drops they drown

    So, in this context, does North Dakota have an alternative revenue stream to compensate?

    • corsicanguppyEnglish
      3·
      4 months ago

      they have a stupid government that only does this to buy votes so when oil drops they drown

      Remember, Peter Lougheed first won the region for the conservatives on a platform of fiscal resilience through diversification and using oil money specifically to fund the development and growth of people and sectors currently ignored. The ignored people liked this.

      Then the party, after winning, gutted the plans.

      So, it’s not like this is their plan. It’s their plan, despite alternative plans winning in the polls to get them the region, which were then gutted in favour of their plan. Said another way, they could have been better, the voters wanted better, they didn’t get better, the voters didn’t bury them for it. They’re the “stop hitting yourself” of voters.

    • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
      1·
      4 months ago

      Yeah. Oil.

      It’s the third highest oil producing state in the country and like seven people live there.

      • exanime@lemmy.world
        1·
        4 months ago

        And is the oil industry paying their share so the government of North Dakota can continue their duties without property taxes?