Dear Minot:
The North Dakota Legislative session has reached crossover.
During the past weeks, legislators in the House and Senate have read, discussed, and voted on a record number of bills, passing the 1,000 mark for the first time in 15 years. Now, the bills will cross over to the other chamber, and work will continue. The Legislature has 80 days to complete its work, unless a special session is called by the governor.
Certainly, there are a number of bills that city officials from not only Minot but other communities in North Dakota have been watching since the session opened in January.
One set of bills has dominated the conversation so far, and that is the competing bills related to property taxes, including House Bill 1575, House Bill 1168, Senate Bill 2363, and House Bill 1176, which is Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s proposal. All of the bills include varying degrees of property tax reform, and include some form of cap on property tax levy increases by local taxing districts. In Minot, that includes the City of Minot, Ward County, Minot Public Schools, and the Minot Park District. Communities, including Minot, are watching these bills closely to see what the potential impacts will be on upcoming budget cycles.
There are bills related to funding for major water and infrastructure projects in the state, including the Northwest Area Water Supply project and the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Plan. These are crucial to Minot’s future, and our continued efforts to complete the two largest infrastructure projects in our community’s history in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Oh, and there’s also House Bill 1334, which would recognize rhubarb as the official state vegetable of North Dakota. It passed the House, and now heads to the Senate.
As an elected official, I have submitted testimony a number of times on behalf of our community’s best interests, and I have certainly not been alone. City Manager Harold Stewart and a long list of City of Minot department heads have either submitted testimony or appeared in person to provide information and answer questions from senators and representatives alike. Their efforts and dedication to the overall well-being of the City of Minot and the community as a whole have been greatly appreciated.
I know there have also been a number of Minot residents who have let their voices be heard at the Legislature, and that’s how the system is supposed to work. Our form of state government works best when the residents of our state are actively engaged in the work our lawmakers are doing.
There is much more work to be done by our elected lawmakers in Bismarck, by City officials, and by the residents of North Dakota. I encourage you to be involved in what’s happening in Bismarck. You can find so much information about the Legislature at ndlegis.gov, including descriptions of bills, video of committee work and testimony on the House and Senate floors, and perhaps most importantly, contact information for every legislator.
There has been a lot of work done by both houses of the North Dakota Legislature, but there is even more remaining. As elected leaders and community members, it’s our job to continue to tell Minot’s story in Bismarck and across the state.
You can find more about what’s happening at the City of Minot at minotnd.org, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d also encourage you to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter on our website.