BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — Currently, there is an initiated ballot measure circulating through the state. Its goal? To end property taxes in North Dakota.

Proposed by the group End Unfair Property Tax, the initiative asserts that North Dakota has “a tremendous amount of revenue,” but that elected officials are spending that money instead of providing real tax relief.

“It’s too high,” said one North Dakota resident. “The taxes are just too high on property. I have family and friends, and I hear them complain. And I agree. It’s too much.”

The initiated ballot measure proposes that politicians can’t levy any tax on real or personal property and that the state should provide annual property tax replacement payments in the amount equal to 2024.

However, End Unfair Property Tax has a counter group: Keep It Local North Dakota.

Keep It Local’s biggest concern with the initiated ballot measure is that the initiative claims there is no well-vetted plan to substitute the annual $1.3 billion that comes from property taxes and funnels into parks, schools, cities, and more.

“I’d really like to know the plan for the revenue replacement for those property taxes,” said local author Kirston Larson, “because that’s huge.”

Keep It Local also states that it takes away local control of local budgets — but North Dakotans have bigger concerns.

“[By ending property tax],” explained Larson, “you’re going to have to hit your state income tax higher. You’re going to have to go across the board. With the people paying their state income tax, that’s going to go up. And who’s that going to affect? Probably the lower income middle class.”

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