North Dakota

Cities respond to new North Dakota property tax credit legislation

Published

11 months ago

May 6, 2025

Cities respond to new North Dakota property tax credit legislation

FARGO — Homeowners across North Dakota are anticipating property tax relief after Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed a bill that expands the primary residence tax credit from $500 to $1,600 annually, starting next year.

The $408 million bill not only boosts the tax credit, but it also places a 3% annual cap on the amount political subdivisions—including cities and school districts—can increase levies.

Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski called the measure a major benefit for residents in his city.

“It’s going to be huge for the local economy and for their own personal finances,” Bochenski said of the more than 12,500 homeowners in Grand Forks who will benefit.

Bochenski acknowledged the cap could limit incoming revenue, but said it likely won’t significantly impact city operations.

“Had this been in place 10 years ago, and we would have complied with it with no problem. We had two years where we were over 3%,” he said.

But other communities may not fare as well.

Dustin Scott, the city administrator for West Fargo, said the cap presents challenges, especially for fast-growing areas.

“We have exceeded that 3% increase about eight out of the last 10 years,” Scott said. “It boils down to being able to deliver the quality of services to our residents and meet those demands, and then having this legislation put a constraint on that growth capability.”

The West Fargo School District, which operates separately from the city, declined to comment in detail, saying it was too early to assess the full impact of the legislation.

In Fargo, School Board member Robin Nelson said the law likely means the district will face similar limitations as the city, especially with a growing student population.

“Where that’s going to really affect the most school districts is school districts that have rapid enrollment growth, that might not be able to keep up with the keep-under-the-3%, if you will,” said Nelson, who chairs the district’s Government Affairs Committee.

Nelson noted that the law will change the duration of voter approval for school levies from 10 years to four, and eliminate special elections for school districts. However, she said the district’s plans for a building referendum are still moving forward.

Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney issued a statement to WDAY acknowledging both the benefits and potential complications of the new law:

“Property tax legislation was among the key issues that The City of Fargo closely monitored throughout this session. The Legislative majority and Gov. Armstrong spoke with a unified voice on this bill which, I’m happy to say, provides relief to our residents through increases in the primary residence tax credit, renters refund and disabled veterans credit,” Mahoney wrote “The legislation also places an annual 3% cap on how much political subdivisions, including The City of Fargo, can raise property taxes. The City is currently beginning the process of determining what effect the cap will have on our local government. City staff will be analyzing the legislation’s impact as they work closely with the City Commission to develop Fargo’s budget for 2026 and future years. What we already know is that the City’s costs are rising across the board as we now contend with an even more finite amount of resources to address the needs of our growing city. Despite these challenges, I’m confident our Budget Team will deliver a balanced, fiscally responsible recommendation to the City Commission that sustains the exceptional City services our residents deserve.”

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North Dakota

Minnkota Says Cost of Data Center Power Project Rises Won’t Affect Customers

Published

12 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Minnkota Says Cost of Data Center Power Project Rises Won’t Affect Customers

(Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – The cost of the power line and substation needed by a data center north of Fargo has risen from $75 million to $110 million, but developers say the data center company will still cover the entire cost of the project.

Applied Digital needs the project to power its data center being built between Fargo and Harwood. The data center requires 280 megawatts of power at peak demand.

Applied Digital will pay for the project but it will be owned by Grand Forks based, Minnkota Power Cooperative.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission held a hearing in Fargo on what is known as the Agassiz Transmission Line and Substation.

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North Dakota

Greenpeace seeks new trial in $345M Dakota Access Pipeline lawsuit

Published

24 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Greenpeace seeks new trial in 5M Dakota Access Pipeline lawsuit

Mary Steurer
| North Dakota Monitor

Greenpeace is asking for a new trial after a judge entered a $345 million judgment in a lawsuit brought by the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
A jury found the environmental group at fault for inciting illegal acts against Energy Transfer during protests in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017.
Greenpeace claims there were errors in the jury instructions and verdict form, and that Energy Transfer presented unfair and irrelevant evidence, among other things.

Greenpeace has asked for a second trial after a judge entered a $345 million judgment against the organization in a landmark case brought by the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The case “threatens to result in one of the largest miscarriages of justice in North Dakota’s history,” attorneys for the environmental group wrote in a brief filed last week.

After a three-week trial roughly a year ago, a Morton County jury directed Greenpeace to pay Energy Transfer about $667 million, finding the environmental group at fault for inciting illegal acts against the company during anti-pipeline protests in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017 and for publishing false statements that harmed Energy Transfer’s reputation.

Greenpeace denies Energy Transfer’s claims and maintains that it brought the lawsuit to hurt the environmental movement.

Southwest Judicial District Judge James Gion in October slashed the jury’s award to $345 million, though he didn’t finalize the award until late February.

Greenpeace is now taking steps to fight the judgment, which includes its motion for a new trial.

The environmental group’s reasons for the request include claims that the jury instructions and verdict form contained errors, and that Energy Transfer was allowed to present unfair and irrelevant evidence to jurors. The group also alleges the jury pool was biased.

Greenpeace says the jury’s award assumes that Greenpeace was entirely responsible for any injury Energy Transfer sustained related to the protests. Jurors were not given the opportunity to consider whether Greenpeace was only at fault for a portion of the damages, the organization wrote in its brief.

Attorneys for Greenpeace also referenced the mailers and other media circulated to Mandan and Bismarck residents before the trial that contained anti-Dakota Access Pipeline protest and pro-energy industry content.

The environmental group seeks a new trial in Cass County, arguing in part that the jury pool in the Fargo area would be more fair because its residents did not directly experience the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and because the local economy is less dependent on the energy industry.

If Greenpeace’s request for a new trial is denied, it plans to appeal the case to the North Dakota Supreme Court, the organization has said.

Greenpeace previously asked for the trial to be moved from Morton County to Cass County in early 2025, which Gion and the North Dakota Supreme Court denied.

The lawsuit is against three separate Greenpeace organizations — Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund.

Energy Transfer as of Wednesday morning had not submitted a response to Greenpeace’s motion for a new trial. Previously, the company has defended the jury’s verdict and disputed Greenpeace’s claims that the court proceedings were not fair.

Energy Transfer has indicated it may appeal Gion’s decision to reduce the award to $345 million.

Greenpeace will not have to pay any of the $345 million judgment for at least a couple of months, Gion ruled Tuesday.

Court documents indicate that the organization could have to pay a bond of up to $25 million while appeals proceed, though the environmental group has asked the judge to waive or reduce this amount. Gion has not decided on this motion.

He noted that obtaining such a large bond will be challenging.

“The magnitude of this matter defies simple decisions,” Gion wrote.

Energy Transfer in court filings urged the judge to require Greenpeace to post the full $25 million.

Any bond money Greenpeace provides would be held by a third party while the appeals proceed, according to Greenpeace USA.

Greenpeace International has filed a separate lawsuit in the Netherlands that accuses Energy Transfer of weaponizing the U.S. legal system against the environmental group. Energy Transfer asked Gion to order that the overseas suit be paused while the North Dakota case is still active, which Gion denied. The company appealed his ruling to the North Dakota Supreme Court, which has yet to make a decision on the matter.

North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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