Dear Editor,
Recently the Devils Lake City Commission met and acted as a ‘Board of Adjustment’ to review taxable valuations of residential and commercial property in the City.
There were several property owners present to question the valuation placed on their home or commercial property. Commissioners rightly pointed out the State of ND requires property valuations fall within a certain percentage as set by the Legislature.
However the Commissioners failed to clarify that while the State has control over valuations to a certain degree, it does NOT set the amount of the taxes levied on your property. The tax levy (commonly referred to as the ‘mill levy’) is set annually by each local elected board (County, City, School, or Park Board) when they each approve their annual operating budget! The State also sets a limitation on the maximum amount of mills any taxing district may levy!
Their budget includes taxes for the general fund and any other annual expense of the governmental body. In addition there may be mills levied to pay for special projects (streets, etc.) but these all have to be approved by the property owners involved.
So if you are unhappy with your real estate taxes, the best time to exercise your right as a property owner is to attend/comment on the annual budget hearings as your County, City, Park Board or School District Boards meet to create it. These budgets must be completed and filed with each County Auditor by October 1st of each year.
An excellent source of more information on ‘mill levies’ and ‘taxable valuations’ can be found on the ND Association of Counties site at https://www.ndaco.org/about-counties/property-tax/
Having served as a Devils Lake City Commissioner and then City Administrator (years ago) it was always disappointing to see the lack of interest by voters/taxpayers when it was being decided how much money was going to be budgeted to operate the City. Very seldom would there be more then a handful of public attend those budget hearings!
There are ‘good things’ our community needs and taxpayers/voters need to support those, but as the old saying goes”….the President proposes, Congress disposes.” so locally we need to remember our elected officials propose, but the ultimate authority rests with the voter on how our tax dollars should be spent when the local budgets are approved!
Mike Connor, Devils Lake, ND
(verified Friday, April 26 _ LAO)
