North Dakota Senate passes resolution to repeal property tax levy used to fund UND med school

BISMARCK — The North Dakota Senate handed a decision on Monday, which might remove a property tax levy that’s at the moment used to fund a portion of UND’s Faculty of Medication and Well being Sciences funds.

Senate Concurrent Decision 4019, which handed 29-18 throughout Monday’s ground vote, would abolish part 10, article 10 of the Structure of North Dakota, which imposes a statewide property tax levy of 1 mill or $1 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed worth. If handed the decision would proceed to voters for consideration on the 2024 basic election poll.

The decision’s sponsor, Sen. Jordan Kannianen, R-Stanley, mentioned its intention is to not defund the medical college, however somewhat to shift the supply of funding from property taxes to the final fund.

“This can be a matter of tax coverage,” mentioned Kannianen. “It has nothing to do with any destructive emotions towards the medical college in any respect, and the intent of all of the sponsors of the decision is that funding stays complete.”

In line with Kannianen, the levy generates roughly $5.5 million in income for the varsity every year, or $11 million per biennium.

Talking in opposition to the decision, Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, mentioned though she agrees with its logic, she is anxious in regards to the dedication of future legislators to changing the income from the levy within the basic fund.

“This levy has been a dependable, non-burdensome persevering with technique of help for the medical college for a really very long time,” mentioned Lee. “Since we can not obligate future legislators, how can I be assured that this explicit stage of funding will at all times proceed in the identical manner it has?”

Lee additionally mentioned “one mill doesn’t break anybody’s financial institution,” and it’s a “fixed supply of base funding for this funds.”

In response to Lee’s considerations, Kannianen mentioned “I believe it’s honest to say that solely in occasions of utmost hardship have there ever been cuts.”

Talking in help of the decision, Sen. Kristin Roers, R-Fargo, mentioned the problem of equity is at play, as a result of Faculty of Medication being the one establishment of upper studying funded partly by way of a statewide levy.

“No different establishment of upper schooling in North Dakota has assured funding,” mentioned Roers. “I might argue that the overwhelming majority of legal professionals working in our state got here out of the identical college, but they don’t have this assure. I don’t imagine future legislators will defund a medical college, if the worth of graduates continues to be at a excessive stage.”

Talking in opposition, Sen. Karen Krebsbach, R-Minot, mentioned the levy is a crucial means for all North Dakotans to contribute towards the advantages the Faculty of Medication offers for the state.

“We’re very lucky to have a medical college,” mentioned Krebsbach. “There have been many previous legislators who’ve supported this endeavor. With out their help, we wouldn’t have the medical professionals we do in our smaller communities, and even our main communities. I take a look at this levy as an space the place everybody contributes — it’s a manner for everybody to have a buy-in to this nice establishment we’ve.”

The decision now awaits motion from the Home.

Banish covers information pertaining to Ok-12 and better schooling, in addition to county fee protection.