Letter: Keep local control, don’t eliminate property tax

Think twice before you vote to eliminate property tax!

Giving up local property tax revenue means we would be depending upon the state Legislature to provide funding for vital services.

Keep in mind, the Fargo metropolitan area has more North Dakota legislative districts than exist in the entire area west of the Missouri River. It has been said, “We (in the west) have the deposit slips. They (in the east) have the checkbook.”

The powerful Red River Valley legislators already claimed a huge amount of the Oil Impact Funds generated by oil production in the western half of the state. You would think that in the Fargo and Grand Forks areas, where there are several major colleges and universities, someone there would be able to open a dictionary and understand the meaning of the word “impact.”

They did not pursue those funds they designated for the “counties not impacted by oil development” to assist the counties that are adjacent to oil production counties, and are actually impacted by infrastructure, traffic and housing challenges. No, they went after those funds for themselves.

Yes, we do have a cash surplus in North Dakota. Where did it come from? Oil production in the western part of the state. Where is it needed? To finance the infrastructure needs and services made necessary by oil production in the western part of the state.

Certainly, we will need to find ways to fund the enormous needs that will continue to grow as oil development in the western part of the state increases. Projections indicate that within the next 10 years, this area will be vastly changed, much of it in costly and undesirable ways.

Let’s be careful not to give away any more of it than we have to.

Vote against elimination of the property tax.

Lewellyn Rustan, New England

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