Proposed elimination of tax exemptions draws opposition

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City Engineer Shawn Soehren and City Planner Ed Courton listen as residents give reasons not to eliminate property tax exemptions in Dickinson at Monday’s Dickinson City Commission Meeting at City Hall.

Talk about it

Representatives from local buyers’ and builders’ organizations opposed the elimination of property tax exemptions at a public hearing held Monday night during the Dickinson City Commission meeting at City Hall.

At a prior City Commission meeting, commissioners discussed the possibility of eliminating the property tax exemptions for builders and buyers of newly constructed homes.

“When I started thinking about the elimination of the exemptions, my mind went in 50 different directions on how this will affect the community,” Kyle Kuntz, a representative from the Dickinson Home Builders Association said.

Kuntz added that with the strong demand for housing and short supply, the exemption entices both the buyers and builders.

“I can’t think of a time when you wouldn’t want to entice builders and buyers,” Kuntz said adding many people don’t realize what housing does for a city and how housing pays for itself.

“Every house is on the tax roll and generates money for the city continuously, it’s not just a one-time tax,” Kuntz said. “With every new house many taxes are provided. And you can’t even begin to count how much the people living in it contribute to the city financially, economically and socially.”

Kuntz said new construction is one thing that makes housing more affordable.

“And the exemption makes the new construction more affordable,” Kuntz said. “The exemption really creates a chain reaction too many other things.”

He added the buyers really deserve a break because they are the ones reinvesting in Dickinson.

Susie Lefor representing the Badlands Board of Realtors, said the exemptions should remain as is.

“We have people looking for pre-owned homes, when they can save money in housing they put that money back into the community by supporting other businesses,” Lefor said.

In other business commission members approved:

* Building code requirements for climatic conditions.

* A wastewater treatment plant amendment that updates the population estimate and cost.

* The execution of a contract with the North Dakota Department of Transportation for funding of the City’s 2035 Comprehensive and Transportation Plan.

* The awarding of the city’s 2035 Comprehensive and Transportation plan to Kadrmas Lee and Jackson.

* The proposal by North Dakota State University to perform a population study as part of the city’s 2035 Comprehensive and Transportation Plan.

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