I never thought a 100% elimination of private and commercial property taxes could, or should, pass. They should have went for a half or 2/3 reduction and also a limit on future increases.
People understand that there are local expenses to be funded. No property tax would result in state funding of those same local expenses - schools, police, fire, hospital, city hall. State funding will result in state and federal mandatory meddling in local affairs. Fail.
Perfect analysis. Thank you.
Pollsters will tell us later on, but I'm guessing that taxpayers in ND preferred that severance tax flows go to state debt retirement instead, and that the flow of royalty money to property owners (them) be unimpeded by state calls on the revenue stream. Just guessing.
Either way, people with the funny accent that folks made fun of just a few years ago (Fargo, Sarah) will be debt-free in just a few years more -- hell, months maybe.