Ward County voters will be asked to amend the county’s home rule charter in the June 14 election. Voters in area counties also will face questions about both new and continuing tax levies.

The Ward County Commission has placed a measure before voters that would amend the home rule charter to prohibit the county from requiring landowners to donate property for road rights-of-way.

The measure stems from a controversial ordinance that the commission recently retracted. The ordinance had required that landowners platting outlots along county or township roads give up a portion of the property as right of way, in case needed by the entities to someday improve the roadway.

The ordinance prompted a lawsuit by the Ward County Farm Bureau and Farmers Union over illegal taking. Although the court ruled for the county on the constitutional question raised, the judge indicated the ordinance would be unconstitutional on other grounds.

Ward County Commissioner John Pietsch, who was a party in the lawsuit and pushed to place the measure on the ballot, said a home rule charter change is necessary to ensure future commissioners don’t impose another right-of-way donation policy. As part of the charter, the prohibition could only be removed by the electorate.

“Hopefully, it will create kind of a safety net to prevent it from happening again,” Pietsch said.

He noted the two farm organizations will be working to educate voters about the measure prior to June 14.

The language added to the home rule charter in the measure states: “The county shall not have the authority to require additional dedication or donation of right-of-way abutting areas of existing right-of-ways. Additional acquired right-of-ways shall be pursuant to North Dakota statutory procedures.”

In some area counties, funding for roads and bridges will be on the ballot.

In McLean County, the existing farm-to-market levy of 10 mills is going away. The county has been levying 10 mills in its Road & Bridge Fund, and voters are being asked whether they want to increase that levy to 20 mills to maintain the current funding for roads when the farm-to-market levy expires.

Wells County is looking to increase its county road levy from 10 mills to 14 mills with voter approval.

Voters in McHenry, Bottineau and Divide are being asked whether they want to continue levying 20 mills in their counties for road and bridge projects.

The McHenry County Commission also is seeking input from voters on whether they would support the commission imposing a tax levy for historical society purposes.

Other county measures facing voters include:

– Bottineau County, a 5-mill levy to form a rural ambulance district.

– Divide County, a 4-mill levy for Extension services.

– Pierce County, an increase in mill levy for Extension by one mill, up to a total of 3 mills, for 10 years.

– Renville County, continuation of a 4-mill levy for Extension services and a question on whether the Renville County Rural Ambulance district should annex the areas in Renville and Bottineau being served by the district. Voters will be asked whether the Renville County Rural Ambulance Service should increase its levy from 3 mills to 10 mills, as needed, to support the Mohall Ambulance Service, with substations in Tolley, Lansford, Sherwood and responders in Glenburn.

In Crosby, voters will determine whether to continue the city’s 1% sales tax for 10 years for jobs development and retention and for capital expenses of the city. They will be asked if they want to continue the 1% sales tax to pay debt of St. Luke’s Hospital for another four years, beginning January 2023.