North Dakota voters will decide this fall whether to eliminate property taxes in what would be a first for a state and a major change that officials initially estimate would require more than $1 billion every year in replacement revenue.
Secretary of State Michael Howe’s office said Friday that backers submitted more than enough signatures to qualify the constitutional initiative for the November general election. Voters rejected a similar measure in 2012.
Property taxes are the base funding for numerous local government services, including sewers, water, roads, jails, deputies, school building construction and teacher salaries — “pretty much the most basic of government,” said North Dakota Association of Counties Executive Director Aaron Birst.
Fun fact. That was in Grafton, NH. NH doesn’t have sales tax. Instead, there’s a correspondingly high property tax.
At least they get good value for it. The schools aren’t terrible, and the roads are better than the much wealthier state of MA right nearby.
Does North Dakota have the same tourism industry that New Hampshire has?
Definitely not. There’s Teddy Roosevelt National Park, which is gorgeous, but it doesn’t attract nearly as much tourism of all the stuff that’s four hours south…
South Dakota has Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Mammoth Site, Black Hills National Forest, Deadwood and Sturgis, a couple good private zoos in Reptile Gardens and Bear Country. All of that stuff is within a 1 hour drive of Rapid City, which has plenty of good hotels and restaurants and just generally what you’d expect from a modern midsize city. Rapid City is honestly worth the trip for anyone, but If you’re a real outdoorsy person then you could easily enjoy a month out there. Oh and then not that far away (relatively speaking - 2 hours drive) is Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.
So no… NoDak is comparatively sparse. And they probably like it that way.