Property Tax Petition

[Allen]

Services, what services. I live off a gravel road that gets plowed maybe a couple times a year. Rural fire department 20 minutes away, police the one time my wife called because some women that was trying to get in the house and she was alone with the kids, She was told an officer would be there in 20/30 minutes, I made it home in less than 10. Rural and well water, septic system, garbage from private contractor. So tell me how I could get less services from the county.

As far as our price for services we provide we shop for the lowest cost on materials and try to keep our labor and other costs under control. when things get tight we cut back but when things get tight the government raises taxes on the citizens without a care if the citizens can afford the increase or not and rarely do they cut back If ever.

That doesn't answer my question.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Yeah I'm mistaken on the loan forgiveness in grand forks it was actually east grand forks that had forgiveness of loan after a certain time. I stand corrected

 

[Obi-Wan]

That doesn't answer my question.

You missed the point on the original post where they are spending the money not because it is a necessity they are spending the money because if they don’t they lose it and risk getting a lower budget the next year. There is no incentive in government to reduce costs. But you are one of the government employees that don’t need to turn a profit with zero incentive to reduce costs.

 

[Allen]

No, you are missing the point.

I would expect that over the years the cost of one unit of whatever good you provide the city of Bismarck to have increased in cost. How has that cost been reflected in your contracts over the years? Have those goods increased with roughly the same inflationary percentage as your property taxes? Or, has the difference between the two been remarkable?

It goes to the ultimate point of if we have some reason to think the cost of goods that private industry provides to the various levels of government are free from the effects of inflation. Inflationary pressures aren't just reflected in one's personal finances, they are very real in what the population expects of government. Are the hourly operation and overall maintenance costs of a road grader today the same as they were in 2020, probably not. Yet we still expect our county gravel roads to be graded on a regular basis.

Shit, I upgraded from a 2009 F250 to a 2021 F250 last year. I was floored that an oil change including fuel filter replacement went from $330'ish to $621 on the newer truck. EVERYTHING costs more with time, it's our job to prepare for that.

 

[Allen]

You missed the point on the original post where they are spending the money not because it is a necessity they are spending the money because if they don’t they lose it and risk getting a lower budget the next year. There is no incentive in government to reduce costs. But you are one of the government employees that don’t need to turn a profit with zero incentive to reduce costs.

FWIW, does that happen in govt, with the concept of spend it or lose it, I am sure it does to some extent. But let's not exaggerate the extent of it.

For the record, I don't think we taxpayers would appreciate government employees wanting their agency to produce a profit. That would mean they are overcharging the public for the goods and services they provide.

 

[Trip McNeely]

You guys don’t have to fight about it anymore….I’m sure they’ll fix it all by next time. This 65% vote proved the people aren’t happy with the current system and sent a message if we don’t get tax relief they will be held to account

Thats what we all said last time…… better start stretching your assholes….then we can repeat this process with a not so shitty written measure that addresses simply primary residence with clear and detailed language.

 

[Trip McNeely]

Easy solution. Freeze the tax evaluation at what you paid for the property. If you want to buy a $600,000 house then you can pay taxes on that. Why should some elderly people pay a tax evaluation on a property they have bought and paid for that was purchased for $80,000 and now some pointy head says it’s worth $300,000 so they pay tax on that. It’s stupid. If there is a short fall in revenue, the govt can tighten there belts instead of coming up with pet projects no one wants. I know it’s wishful thinking but a normal business has to cut spending when the income is short. Why is govt different.

This is legitimately a really good idea. Most are aware they need to pay some tax. The problem is when your taxes go up hundreds of dollars yearly and quadruple over 10 years. No one takes that into account when they purchase a home 10-15 years ago. When you take out a mortgage ypu see the taxes and that’s what it is. You know up front what it is and that’s where it should stay. I started at 1250 and Im approaching 4k. It’s not right.

 

[Trip McNeely]

FWIW, does that happen in govt, with the concept of spend it or lose it, I am sure it does to some extent. But let's not exaggerate the extent of it.

For the record, I don't think we taxpayers would appreciate government employees wanting their agency to produce a profit. That would mean they are overcharging the public for the goods and services they provide.

You mean like the bank of ND? Or the state mill? Or is that different cuz it goes to the general fund?

 

[Allen]

You mean like the bank of ND? Or the state mill? Or is that different cuz it goes to the general fund?

Well, ya got me on that one. Those two were setup to specifically benefit ND and its economy, so that's a tweener when it comes to making money. As a general rule of thumb, fees collected go to the general fund and not back into the budget/pocket of agency employees.