North Dakota revolts:Mass movement against property taxes

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
6/13/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Measure on ballot would eliminate property taxes completely

In a state marked by hearty and strong-headed citizens, North Dakota has a daring proposition on their ballots this week. Residents here are considering a measure that abolishes the property tax entirely.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A disparate group of factions within the state have arisen to voice their opposition. The North Dakota Chamber of Commerce and the state's largest public employees' unions are strongly against the proposition. Questions have arisen, such as precisely how lawmakers would make up some $812 million in annual property tax revenue.

Opponents also want to know what effect the change would have on hundreds of other state laws and regulations that allude to the more than century-old property tax.

Polls suggest that voters here overwhelmingly oppose the ballot measure to ban the property tax. However, even if the measure fails, the notion is picking up steam in some Republican circles in other states, including North Carolina, Texas and Pennsylvania.

Susan Beehler, one in a group of North Dakotans who have pressed for an amendment to the state's Constitution to end the property tax is prosaic as to why she supports the idea. "I would like to be able to know that my home, no matter what happens to my income or my life, is not going to be taken away from me because I can't pay a tax," she says.

Proponents of the measure say the tax is unpredictable, inconsistent, counter to the concept of property ownership and needless in a state that, thanks in part to wildly successful oil drilling, finds itself in the rare circumstance of carrying budget reserves.

"When did we come to believe that government should get rich and we should get poor?" Beehler adds.

Jim Cox, a state representative in Pennsylvania who has proposed legislation to eliminate the school property tax in the state agrees. "No tax should have the power to leave you homeless," he said. He notes that such taxes have led to residents' losing homes to sheriff's sales, entering into reverse mortgages or simply moving away.

North Dakota, while it remains sparsely populated -- 48th in population among the states - remains a logical place for such a movement to brew. The surge in oil production over the past five years has seen its effects ripple through other parts of life here. The state's coffers are full, and assessments of home values have risen drastically as well.

Those who want to keep the property tax have vastly outraised the opponents, gathering more than $500,000, campaign finance reports show. Though the question is among four on ballots here on Tuesday, residents here said they had been overwhelmed with information about the property tax measure, on signs, in radio talk shows and through months of debates in school gymnasiums and recreation halls in small towns like Edgeley and Bowman.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: North Dakota, property taxes, proposition, election, revolt

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Wayne
11 months ago
I feel that the complete absolution of property taxes would be a detriment to society in general. I base this conception on the example of property rights in foreign lands where corporations have purchased up all the land and the only way to have housing is to get it from your respective employer through company accomodations. If we just abolish all property taxes this would cause a rush of foreign interests in our global economy to purchase up land in the U.S. by large corporations and conglomerates and could be held in perpetuitity by them without the current problem of having to pay taxes on the properities. If property taxes are to be removed it should only be on assessable homes of a given size and acerage or Americans would find a sudden land purchase with no penalities from sizable investers because there would be no property taxes to prevent excessive land purchases.
If
renton
11 months ago
I like the idea of not loseing my home for not being able to afford property taxes as I am retired and living on a fixed income.. My peoperty taxes for the last 5 years totals more the the original purchase price. It appears we only rent from the county and never really own the property. very interesting subject
Elizabeth
11 months ago
Yes it would be good that they delete the property tax so that way no one lose their home for I find that there are a lot of families losing their home's because of property tax for here in Maine I see a lot and can't understand why Maine is in the red when governor is cutting more then he should for it affects the schools, health and homes for there are no job in Maine for it is getting less and less of new business coming to Maine and why because the Tax's are very high and this governor is not willing to lower the tax's in order to bring good business to Maine so people who are out of work can have a job to support their families. Its like all he care's about is keeping Maine from having good business coming to Maine and the health being of all Maine people. This governor needs to listen to the people of Maine and understand that he is hurting a lot of people who are out of work, losing their homes, on fixed income and health for the people who can't afford their medication or those who are in need of assistance with their disability who depend on the service and machine's that able them to live.
Robert Burford
11 months ago
I lived in ND in the seventies and have the utmost respect for the wonderful, independent thinking people of the state. They have a strong faith and helped me mature as a Catholic male. i support the idea of not loosing a home because of non-payment of property taxes, but there are pitfalls to no tax at all. When a revenue source dries up as the oil and farming producers, where does a state go. It would seem more logical to keep your options open and lower the property tax rate to a few dollars a year. My concern is that the oil and gas industry does not pay their fair share of taxes for roads, schools and other state services. These industries have been a tremendous boon to the state but come at a cost.
MikeMay
11 months ago
I'd be all for getting rid of property taxes. I would only think that property taxes should be put on private recreational land second or more houses or excessively big homes. But modest homes and all productive and business property should be tax free. I'd also get rid of income tax, capital gains, estate, and payroll tax and replace them with the fair tax.
Dawn in Kansas
11 months ago
Bring it to Kansas too!! I agree. You should never be taxed out of your property and ownership rights!!!

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