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Letters to the Editor

Real property tax relief needed

Cathy “Kit” Brenan, Hillsboro Over 42 blocks in Minot receive property tax breaks for at least 5 years. EPIC just had their break EXTENDED. TIF financing is in EVERY town and county in N.D. to spur “economic development.” How are these taxes being paid? BY YOU! Rep. Jared Hagert, Taxation Committee chair, says removing property tax is a Trojan Horse. FOR WHOM? Not the homeowner who is having mills or valuations increase EVERY year whether they make improvements or not! Removing property tax would assure you OWN your home vs rent from the state. That you can’t be ...

Closing schools not financial solution

Edana Kitzmann, Minot So the final answer is $6 million on shortfall. Four to five weeks ago the savings number was $1.8-2 million. The numbers get larger as time goes by, it seems. The savings number now is $3-3.5 million. To receive “assistance” from the “state school fund” to get through the MPS school budget economic crisis would work, or is that the “foot in the door” to 100% state funding that some are scared of? If the state school fund furnishes 100% for ALL school districts, where will the “rainy day” money come from when it is depleted? Think it ...

Harassment defies common decency

Don Morrison, Bismarck In the midst of this wonderful place we live – the beautiful, bountiful prairies – some people keep insisting on harassing other people who are a little different than they are. We see and hear continuing racial taunts and slurs aimed at Indigenous players on North Dakota high school athletic teams. How could anyone even think mocking Native high school athletes is ok? You know, it is just basic humanity to know why that’s wrong. In fact, all it takes is some sense of common decency. Unfortunately, it’s very clear that common decency is in short ...

ND has money to replace property taxes

Connie Samuelson Minot Minot Public Schools are faced with a $6.6M (5.32%) budget deficit going into their 24/25 school year. This stems from the December 2021 bond passing to build a sports complex, a 4 year high school and revamping 2 schools ($108.6M) and projected loss of enrollment ($1.3M). Money is still owed on the 2014 ($39.5M) bond passing. MPS will be closing 2 elementary schools and proposing a building fund levy on our property taxes in the June election. Consideration will also have to be made for further cuts. Administrators, teachers and staff seem skeptical ...

Officiating saddens basketball fan

Linda Freeman Kenmare Over my many years of watching basketball games, I have seen referees occasionally make calls that determined the outcome of the game, but I have never seen anything quite so blatant as the referees in the second half of the 3rd and 4th place Region I game in New Town. As an observer who didn’t have a vested interest in which team won, I was shocked as I watched the referees make call after call that was obviously meant to determine the outcome of the game. It worked, as frustration started to show on the court. All I can say as a saddened fan of high ...

Current property tax is discriminatory

Steve Moen Minot The RHINOs are on the warpath! How dare we the people float a petition to end property tax! Didn’t we get the message last session when they tabled it. They held a meeting in Mandan to see how they can silence grass root conservatives and are totally against giving the people a meaningful tax break. We the people know better. Schools are 80% funded by the state. Property tax funds less than 50% of the cities and counties. All their concerns are unwarranted and most are lies and misinformation. This measure isn’t extremely detailed as it is a Constitutional ...