Prairie Public NewsRoom
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wardner: 2017 Legislature will look at changes in how oil taxes are allocated

The chairman of the Legislature's interim Energy Development and Transmission Committee says he expects a new proposal on how to divvy up oil taxes will be introduced in the 2017 session.

Up until the 2015 session, the state took 75 percent of oil tax revenues, and local governments got 25 percent. Wardner and a group of western North Dakota lawmakers proposed a 60-40 split – with local governments getting the lion’s share. But the Legislature decided to make it 30-70, with local governments getting the 30 percent.

"We will have a discussion here," said the committee chairman, Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson). "I will have my charts here, and you're going to understand everything, every movement on that chart on what we're going to do. So when we go forward with the bill, it's something that everybody is comfortable with."

Wardner says he plans to solicit more input from cities and counties in the Oil Patch before the bill draft is rolled out. He says one thing he hopes to do is to point out the relationship between impact aid and property taxes.

"The oil tax that goes back is in lieu of property taxes," said Wardner. "And what is the right amount? That's what we're going to be struggling with."

Wardner hopes to get bi-partisan support for the committee’s final bill draft.

Related Content