Property Tax Increase

[fnznfwl]

Here's my beef with property taxes. Why should I have to pay for services I do not use? I do not have kids, why should I pay for your kids school? 75% of the fricking tax money goes to the damn school! I'd rather see my entire property tax bill go to fix and maintain my township road that I actually use. I had to pay to put a new culvert in the damn thing myself because the fricking township was broke!

yeah! I mean after all its not like educated children benefit society in anyway.

#dumbass

 

[Retired Educator]

I love this time of the year. Tax statements come out and everyone gets pissed. Questions #1: Why is everyone blaming the state legislators? They don't set the property tax, they don't set valuations, and they don't collect property tax. In fact other than the Century Code allowing cities, schools, counties, townships, parks, etc. the ability to levy property tax state government has nothing to do with property tax.

Question #2: If those entities listed above did not collect property tax and had no other source of income, what and how much are you willing to do without? Seriously, do you think those entities provide many services at no cost to them. Who pays for the fuel to run a road grader down your country roads. Who pays for the city workers to clear the streets after a snow storm. Who pays for the teacher salaries to educate our children? Cutting taxes isn't difficult, you just have to decide what your are willing to go without.

Question #3: Every year, every entity listed above has required (by the state legislature) meetings to listen to tax equalization concerns as well as budget hearings. How many of you have attended a meeting? Can't speak for everyone here but I'm betting virtually none of you based on my many years of working as an educator and many other years serving on a variety of boards who have budgets based on property taxes. In more than 35 years of serving in those capacities the attendance at those hearings by the public is rare. Those are the chances for you to bring up your concerns to the people who actually set the budgets and tax levies.

It's easy to say "cut the budget," not so easy to decide what you are going to do without.

 

[Allen]

This is an example of what's taking place in rural Burleigh county. I clipped the not useful info out to not muddy the waters.





As you can see, the "Legislative Tax Relief" is still in effect this year. On this one it's $2629.14 for 2017. That's going to be painful when the legislative buy down expires.

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Note: Burleigh county residents can go here for their current tax bills:

http://burleighco.com/property-information/

Use the "pay property taxes" link to actually get a statement.

 

[Sluggo]

Here's where my tax dollars are going:

CITY	Bismarck Building Construction	2.37%
CITY	Bismarck General Fund	17.99%
CITY	Bismarck Library	2.40%
CITY	Bismarck Special Deficiency	0.43%
CITY	Bismarck Public Transportation	1.29%
COUNTY	County Agent	0.29%
COUNTY	County General	12.70%
COUNTY	Garrison Diversion Conservancy District	0.43%
COUNTY	Jail Construction and Maintenance	0.21%
COUNTY	Job Development	0.08%
COUNTY	Road and Bridge	0.43%
COUNTY	Senior Citizens	0.39%
COUNTY	Soil Conservation	0.30%
COUNTY	Veteran Service Office	0.27%
COUNTY	Water Resource District	0.64%
PARK	Bismarck Park and Recreational Facilitie	2.15%
PARK	Bismarck Park General Fund	9.41%
PARK	Bismarck Park Special Assessments	3.18%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Building	4.29%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Miscellaneous	0.43%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Sinking and Int 2009	0.09%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Sinking and Int 2012	0.61%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Sinking and Int 2013	4.53%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Sinking and Int 2014	0.96%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Sinking and Int 2015	0.82%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Sinking and Int 2017	2.26%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School Special Assessment	0.57%
SCHOOL (after state reduction)	Bismarck School General Fund	30.06%
STATE	State Medical Center	0.43%

 

[deactivated]

I love this time of the year. Tax statements come out and everyone gets pissed. Questions #1: Why is everyone blaming the state legislators? They don't set the property tax, they don't set valuations, and they don't collect property tax. In fact other than the Century Code allowing cities, schools, counties, townships, parks, etc. the ability to levy property tax state government has nothing to do with property tax.

Question #2: If those entities listed above did not collect property tax and had no other source of income, what and how much are you willing to do without? Seriously, do you think those entities provide many services at no cost to them. Who pays for the fuel to run a road grader down your country roads. Who pays for the city workers to clear the streets after a snow storm. Who pays for the teacher salaries to educate our children? Cutting taxes isn't difficult, you just have to decide what your are willing to go without.

Question #3: Every year, every entity listed above has required (by the state legislature) meetings to listen to tax equalization concerns as well as budget hearings. How many of you have attended a meeting? Can't speak for everyone here but I'm betting virtually none of you based on my many years of working as an educator and many other years serving on a variety of boards who have budgets based on property taxes. In more than 35 years of serving in those capacities the attendance at those hearings by the public is rare. Those are the chances for you to bring up your concerns to the people who actually set the budgets and tax levies.

It's easy to say "cut the budget," not so easy to decide what you are going to do without.

In regards to #1. Do you really believe that state lawmakers have no influence on local decisions? Do you believe that control is 100% local?

 

[Ericb]

1. Real and true property ownership. Neither your home nor your land could be confiscated for back-taxes.

Try not paying the IRS. Doesn't matter what kind of tax they will come after the house if you don't pay.

 

[Obi-Wan]

Who paid for the schools when you went to grade / high school?

Here's my beef with property taxes. Why should I have to pay for services I do not use? I do not have kids, why should I pay for your kids school? 75% of the fricking tax money goes to the damn school! I'd rather see my entire property tax bill go to fix and maintain my township road that I actually use. I had to pay to put a new culvert in the damn thing myself because the fricking township was broke!

 

[You]

Try not paying the IRS. Doesn't matter what kind of tax they will come after the house if you don't pay.

not necessarily

you could defend yourself against the irs by simply having already put your home into an llc and paying said llc a daily, monthly, or even yearly rent Thumbs Up

now you just have to find some expenses, as the landlord, to reduce the taxable rental income. doable

 

[Retired Educator]

In regards to #1. Do you really believe that state lawmakers have no influence on local decisions? Do you believe that control is 100% local?

Yes, it's local until the legislature sticks their nose in and tells local entities that "in order to get this you must do this." Most common carrots are dangled in front of schools with really no choice. If you ever attend a budget or equalization meeting pay particular attention to how many legislators are in attendance. Pisses me off when they act like they are the only elected officials in the state.

 

[deactivated]

Yes, it's local until the legislature sticks their nose in and tells local entities that "in order to get this you must do this." Most common carrots are dangled in front of schools with really no choice. If you ever attend a budget or equalization meeting pay particular attention to how many legislators are in attendance. Pisses me off when they act like they are the only elected officials in the state.

I sat in a few of those. I have also sat in budget meetings (school and city). I was a little surprised how ignorant the mayor, city councilman, city auditor, school board members, and business manager were. The public is just as ignorant. They had no clue about how to budget including how to calculate income from local taxes. It is because the state and county have too much influence. There is no incentive for competent people to hold local office. The state is still buying down your school district taxes. Someday that will come crashing down and if you are upset about school taxes now, just wait for the fall out coming. Local control is a myth.

 

[Trip McNeely]

That is nuts. You lost me after you said your valuation stayed the same but mill levy went up. From 2007-2016, ND average taxable valuations have increased steadily. State wide average mill rates have decreased.

i wish i knew how to post a picture of my statement but from 2015-2017 my mill levy went from 169.13-173.62-176.76. my valuation stayed the same this year but jumped last year by 11k. my county taxes actually went down. school was up 50 and town ship has gone up from 65.46 in 2015 to 146.08 to 269.98 this year. so the state is buying down.... the county is reducing mills.... but now my i gotta watch my ass for the township folks?..... for the love of christ.

 

[eyexer]

all gonna get horse fucked now. no doubt were going to see another initiated measure to eliminate property taxes. Thinking it'll have a lot more support this go around. There are a pile of people that feel like total dumb asses for voting against it last time. But some lessons are learned the hard way. At least they are smart enough and man enough to admit their stupidity. They listened to the "keep it local" chirpers but they learned their lesson.

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If we insist on keeping property taxes we need to do like other states. Come up with a state wide equal assessment based on various factors involving the home. All 1600 hundred square foot houses with three bedrooms and two baths and finished basement gets taxed the same in every single town and county throughout the state. That would put property tax in check in a hell of a hurry.

 

[Bfishn]

I was just looking at my past tax statements since I built my current house. In 2010 with my house valued at 182k my taxes were $2,617. In 2013 they were the lowest, house valued at 217k taxes were $2,244. This year house valued at 271k taxes $2,833. So in 8 years my taxes went up only $215 even though my house has went up 90k in tax value, 120k in market value. I guess I won’t bitch to much about that.

 

[gst]

eye, would you care to "chirp" in and address any of the questions I have posed regarding smaller or rural communities and counties and townships and funding?

 

[eyexer]

eye, would you care to "chirp" in and address any of the questions I have posed regarding smaller or rural communities and counties and townships and funding?

I'm sure your smart enough to know that the whole funding element for the whole state will have to be reworked. If that means increases in sales tax, user fees, vehicle registration fees or whatever. The money will come from another source. But you already knew that. That's for the legislators to figure out.

 

[Retired Educator]

Why does everyone keep insisting that property tax needs to be fixed by the legislature? Currently they don't get one dime from property tax. It doesn't even go into the state treasury as it's paid to county treasurers. The county then divides the property tax money to cities, schools, parks, etc, based on the amount of mills levied for each entity.

1833 mentioned that the meeting he had attended were pretty much run by incompetent elected officials. Does that mean that he thinks all the legislators are therefore the only competent elected officials? Let me assure you, they are no different than your friends and neighbors who also serve on other elected boards.

At the last ballot to vote on eliminating property tax the plan was to use the excess oil tax money to replace the property tax. That would have worked out well. Add in that the legislature was going to be assigned the job of deciding how to divide the money to each entity receiving property tax. Imagine that fiasco. Property tax isn't perfect and no one looks forward to receiving the tax bill in December, what is your other option and still keep the services to which you have become accustomed?

 

[eyexer]

Why does everyone keep insisting that property tax needs to be fixed by the legislature? Currently they don't get one dime from property tax. It doesn't even go into the state treasury as it's paid to county treasurers. The county then divides the property tax money to cities, schools, parks, etc, based on the amount of mills levied for each entity.

1833 mentioned that the meeting he had attended were pretty much run by incompetent elected officials. Does that mean that he thinks all the legislators are therefore the only competent elected officials? Let me assure you, they are no different than your friends and neighbors who also serve on other elected boards.

At the last ballot to vote on eliminating property tax the plan was to use the excess oil tax money to replace the property tax. That would have worked out well. Add in that the legislature was going to be assigned the job of deciding how to divide the money to each entity receiving property tax. Imagine that fiasco. Property tax isn't perfect and no one looks forward to receiving the tax bill in December, what is your other option and still keep the services to which you have become accustomed?

I just told you how. It's not rocket science. There are dozens of ways the state collects money now. They will simply find other types of collection like those that exist or they will raise the amounts of the current ones being collected. That's what legislators will sort out. If a county needs more money they can charge a higher sales tax in their county or the cities in those counties can. Right now it's far too easy for counties to tell the populace to screw off, we are going to spend like drunken sailors and we will just tax you as we see fit. We need to make it harder for governments to raise taxes. With sales taxes we have to vote on it. So they will have to convince their populace they really need the money.

Here are the lowest property taxes in the country.

• Hawaii - 0.28 percent.
• Alabama - 0.43 percent.
• Louisiana - 0.51 percent.
• Delaware - 0.55 percent.
• District of Columbia - 0.57 percent.
• South Carolina - 0.57 percent.
• West Virginia - 0.59 percent.
• Wyoming - 0.61 percent.

ND's tax is 1.2%. Twice what Wyoming has. Something wrong with that picture.

 

[Ericb]

Just checked my taxes went up $250 this year in Bis. For those of you that fight property taxes not neccisarly the spending. What is fairer for the money to come from. Income? Take it before you see it. Sales tax? The new boat car buyers will pay a portion but we will pay more for our daily neccesitys. Property tax? We all decide when buying a house what we need what we want. What mortgage can we afford, taxes are added in. Don't want to pay as much tax don't buy so much of a house. Seems better than not making money so you don't pay the tax. Hell it basically get baked in to the price of a home. When we bought our house we looked at Bis vs Mandan. Houses in Bis were more than Mandan for a similar house. Taxes in Mandan were a bit higher. Go figure my mortgage would have been the same either town it was just allocations.

 

[eyexer]

Just checked my taxes went up $250 this year in Bis. For those of you that fight property taxes not neccisarly the spending. What is fairer for the money to come from. Income? Take it before you see it. Sales tax? The new boat car buyers will pay a portion but we will pay more for our daily neccesitys. Property tax? We all decide when buying a house what we need what we want. What mortgage can we afford, taxes are added in. Don't want to pay as much tax don't buy so much of a house. Seems better than not making money so you don't pay the tax. Hell it basically get baked in to the price of a home. When we bought our house we looked at Bis vs Mandan. Houses in Bis were more than Mandan for a similar house. Taxes in Mandan were a bit higher. Go figure my mortgage would have been the same either town it was just allocations.

Why should two homeowners that essentially own identical homes, have one paying twice what the other pays in property taxes?

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i wish i knew how to post a picture of my statement but from 2015-2017 my mill levy went from 169.13-173.62-176.76. my valuation stayed the same this year but jumped last year by 11k. my county taxes actually went down. school was up 50 and town ship has gone up from 65.46 in 2015 to 146.08 to 269.98 this year. so the state is buying down.... the county is reducing mills.... but now my i gotta watch my ass for the township folks?..... for the love of christ.

it is a game they play. they convince you that just because your mills go up your taxes won't. then to prove that the first year they don't raise your taxes. Then hold on because in subsequent years they skyrocket. It's a game of scherades.

 

[Trip McNeely]

Why does everyone keep insisting that property tax needs to be fixed by the legislature? Currently they don't get one dime from property tax. It doesn't even go into the state treasury as it's paid to county treasurers. The county then divides the property tax money to cities, schools, parks, etc, based on the amount of mills levied for each entity.

1833 mentioned that the meeting he had attended were pretty much run by incompetent elected officials. Does that mean that he thinks all the legislators are therefore the only competent elected officials? Let me assure you, they are no different than your friends and neighbors who also serve on other elected boards.

At the last ballot to vote on eliminating property tax the plan was to use the excess oil tax money to replace the property tax. That would have worked out well. Add in that the legislature was going to be assigned the job of deciding how to divide the money to each entity receiving property tax. Imagine that fiasco. Property tax isn't perfect and no one looks forward to receiving the tax bill in December, what is your other option and still keep the services to which you have become accustomed?

im venturing a guess most here understand and accept some property tax as a nessecary evil. but at what point are they going to the same ol well too much? so in good fiscal years our taxes go up because of valuation... but in bad years it goes up because at least one of the politcal subdivisions needs to offset a deficit?..... so when does it end? i just would appreciate a little stability. it seems whenever they ( politcal subdivision of your choosing) has a budget shortfall they take the easy route and tax the homeowners. for once id like them to say " i think we should make sheniqua pay at least half of her birth control this year" or " do we really need to spend money on bike lanes 13 people will use for 2 months of the year". or "juan, peublo, and roberto all got busted with 355 grams of mexican meth. should we spend even more money incarcerating them on top of the already stressed city/county/state resources" call me what you want. i for one am tired of polititians always takinf the path of least resistance.