North Dakota
Fargo area leaders urge local control as state works on property tax reform
FARGO — Local leaders are keeping a close eye on moves in the state Legislature that aim to offer property tax relief after Gov. Kelly Armstrong identified that as a key legislative priority.
If passed,
House Bill 1176
would place a 3% cap on annual property tax levy increases for political subdivisions. The bill, introduced by Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, includes a host of other property tax changes championed by Armstrong, as well as tax relief for renters and elderly homeowners.
On behalf of the most populated county in the state, Cass County Commission Chair
Tony Grindberg told lawmakers this process should include collaboration between the state and local powers.
He submitted opposing testimony to the bill.
“We want a seat at the table to be part of the solution,” Grindberg told The Forum. “A 3% cap creates challenges for the state’s fastest-growing county.”
While the county supports statewide efforts to expand property tax relief to primary residences, there is concern at the county level that the bill doesn’t adequately factor in inflation, economic and population growth, or changing requirements for government.
Historically, Cass County has maintained healthy finances through “fiscally conservative budgets,” Grindberg said.
A 3% cap on annual property tax increases doesn’t align with the growing demands on the county, he said, including increased costs across the board, workforce challenges and an ongoing jail expansion.
If this is put into law, Cass County will either need to cut services or face a deficit of $4 million by 2026, he said. The bulk of the county’s budget is earmarked for public safety offices like the jail, sheriff and state’s attorney, he said, and other cuts could impact the highway fund for road upkeep.
Ultimately, Grindberg said he hopes lawmakers arrive at the right decisions for property tax relief and reform that provide a level of local control and flexibility.
“It will all work out, but it’s going to take a collective effort,” he said.
The Fargo School Board is asking the Legislature to push forward property tax reform that prioritizes local control and can be easily and practically applied throughout the state.
On behalf of the board, member
Robin Nelson submitted neutral testimony to the bill.
It’s increasingly apparent that property tax issues are complex, Nelson told The Forum, and require more thought than placing a cap on local government.
However, that’s how leading goes, she said, noting it involves coming to the table with an idea and working on it until it’s the best it can be.
“That’s how the democratic process works,” Nelson said. “Legislation is sausage-making.”
At the end of the day, Nelson said, the best ideas from around the table will be formed into a final solution to best serve the interests of local communities.
The city of Fargo is excited to see property tax reform and the positive impact it will have on residents, Mayor Tim Mahoney said. He did not submit testimony on the bill.
However, the city isn’t without worry about the shifting landscape.
The 3% cap on annual increases won’t keep up with the growth of communities like Fargo, West Fargo and Horace, Mahoney said.
These concerns have been brought to Armstrong’s attention on behalf of the Fargo City Commission and the city of West Fargo, he said, and leaders from both communities plan to work alongside state leaders to find solutions.
At the end of the day, the city wants to continue providing services to residents, Mahoney said, and could face cuts if the community’s growth outpaces the proposed cap.
“People expect great services in their community,” he said.
Legislators amended HB 1176 several times since its introduction.
Most notably, lawmakers adjusted the bill to allow voters to exclude their county or city from the levy increase caps for up to 10 years,
The Bismarck Tribune reported.
Armstrong told The Bismarck Tribune the built-in flexibility could be “a little more restrictive,” but he commended the hard work that is moving the bill forward.
There has been a mixed response to the bill,
according to submitted testimony,
with roughly half in favor, a quarter opposed and another quarter neutral.
Most of the written comments were submitted on behalf of government entities or by government officials and other large organizations.
The bill was sent to the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 11 and is awaiting a recommendation there.
GRAND FORKS — A North Dakota composer’s dream is turning into a statewide invitation.
Williston-based musician Emily Black-Driscoll was chosen as the North Dakota Music Teachers Association’s commissioned composer for 2026. She’s preparing an original composition that will premiere in August.
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North Dakota
Challengers declare victory after ND Supreme Court rules against Legislature’s attempt to alter term limits
BISMARCK — A constitutional ballot measure to amend the state’s term limits law as proposed by the Legislature will not appear on November’s ballot, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, siding with petitioners who argued the Legislature exceeded its authority and violated the state constitution in proposing the changes.
“The people’s voice was heard,” Grand Forks County Commissioner Terry Bjerke said in reaction to the news.
Bjerke was a member of the sponsoring committee behind the successful 2022 effort to pass a term limits initiative, which amended the state constitution by capping legislative term limits to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. The amendment, which became article XV of the state constitution, also included a clause barring the Legislature from making constitutional changes to term limits.
During the 2025 session, however, lawmakers narrowly approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 4008, in which the legislature proposed Constitutional Measure 1, a ballot measure to amend the term limits language to allow legislators to decide in which chamber they want to serve their 16 years, and to repeal the clause limiting the legislative assembly’s authority to propose an amendment to alter or repeal term limits.
Bjerke and former Minot legislator Oley Larsen brought the lawsuit challenging the validity of the Legislature’s action in January, and the state Supreme Court
heard oral arguments in the case
this spring.
“Those term limits may only be altered by a measure proposed by the people rather than the Legislative Assembly. And yet a few years later, the Legislative Assembly is doing what they are prohibited from doing,” attorney Zachary Wallen argued on Bjerke and Larsen’s behalf.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
The Legislature’s attorneys argued the clause prohibiting legislative proposals to alter the constitutional term limits language “infringes on our republican form of government” by “limiting the people’s ability to vote on amendments proposed by their elected officials.”
Justice Jon Jensen seemed skeptical of that argument during the April 2 hearing, questioning whether a second vote was appropriate.
“The public did speak on this. The public spoke on it when it passed the original constitutional amendment and they said, ‘Legislature, you don’t even get to propose a change.’ They have already spoken on it,” Jensen said. “You want a second shot, or a second bite at the apple, not a first one, a second.”
In Thursday’s ruling, all five justices sided with Bjerke and Larsen.
“We … conclude the Legislative Assembly’s adoption of S.C.R. 4008 violated N.D. Const. art. XV … and declare S.C.R. 4008 and Constitutional Measure 1 void … We enjoin the Secretary of State from placing Constitutional Measure 1 on the November 2026 general election ballot,” the ruling said.
Bjerke thanked the legal team that worked on behalf of their lawsuit, and said he was grateful the court reached the conclusion it did.
“I’m thrilled that what the people voted on and approved has been validated,” Bjerke said.
He added that the Legislature had “multiple opportunities” to address term limits prior to 2022’s initiated measure and chose not to, and gave a nod to the country’s coming milestone and the process by which voters expressed their support for term limits.
“We’ve lasted 250 years,” Bjerke said. “I have two words for those elected leaders who think they aren’t: everyone’s replaceable.”
North Dakota
Fargo woman convicted in North Dakota fraud case now faces charges in Minnesota: A deeper dive
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A North Dakota woman who was sentenced to 180 days in jail in Cass County for defrauding healthcare providers and Medicaid programs is now facing additional fraud charges in Minnesota.
Christine Marie Pryor, 55, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to theft by deception involving more than $50,000. She was sentenced to first serve 180 days with a 3-year sentence suspended. She received credit for 44 days already served.
Pryor was ordered to pay $82,584.78 in restitution to Southeast Human Services in Fargo, where she worked between 2018 and 2019.
How the scheme unfolded
According to court documents, Pryor worked at multiple healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota between 2018 and 2023, using the identities and credentials of three licensed professionals without their knowledge. She submitted fraudulent Capella University diplomas and transcripts to gain employment.
Investigators say Pryor admitted she searched state licensing websites for therapists who shared her first name, then used those therapists’ last names and license numbers when applying for jobs.
At Southeast Human Services, where she worked as a Licensed Addiction Counselor, Pryor earned $55,584.82 while providing therapy services to approximately 150 patients. She also opened her own counseling center, NIAM Brain Injury Center, in Fargo between 2020 and 2021, and worked at The Lotus Center in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 2021 to 2023.
Court documents say the three licensed professionals whose identities were used told investigators they had no knowledge of Pryor’s actions and did not give her permission to use their information.
Two additional charges against Pryor in North Dakota, unauthorized use of personal identifying information, were dismissed on motion of the state.
Additional charges in Minnesota
Pryor is also facing charges in Minnesota. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday charges against Pryor in Clay County District Court for six theft offenses and six identity theft offenses related to defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of more than $150,000.
According to the Minnesota complaint, Pryor claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients despite having no license or credentials to do so. Prosecutors allege she used the credentials and identities of three licensed professionals while claiming to provide Medicaid-funded services to 169 clients.
The Minnesota charges were filed as part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown Day, a joint effort involving the Department of Justice and more than 40 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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