North Dakota's House Republican Leader said one of his top priorities for the upcoming Legislative session is to fully-fund the 12 percent property tax buy down program.
Some lawmakers have looked at alternatives to that, saying the 12 percent isn’t sustainable. Rep.Scott Louser (R-Minot) is proposing the state take over all funding of K-12 education, and eliminating the 12 percent buy down. And some lawmakers are looking at the state taking over full funding for social service programs, ending the special mill levies counties have for that purpose. That would also replace the 12 percent.
But House Majoriy Leader Al Carlson (R-Fargo) said he doesn’t like either option. He said he wants to keep that 12 percent buy down.
"And the only reason people are jumping up and down is because the money was also subject to the (budget) allotment process," Carlson said. "It's up to us to get into the session, prioritize our spending, and deal with, as best we can, the tax the taxpayers of North Dakota like the least. That's property tax."
Carlson said, for example, if the state provided 100 percent of the funding for schools, it would also have to take over teacher contract negotiations – and he doesn’t want state government put in that position.
