Governor Burgum Requested Property Tax Reform Ideas, Here They Are

During his State of the State speech this week, Governor Doug Burgum stated of property tax reform:

Burgum said it's the right time to right-size government. He said that means looking at return on investment and quality of results. Burgum said part of the change could include getting the state out of what he calls “the property tax buy-down business" -- which he said has multiple shortcomings.

"First, it's not free money," Burgum said. "It's tax money coming in and then being redistributed in an attempt to lower other taxes. Second, it's an unsustainable expenditure line that continues to grow. But perhaps most dangerously, it acts as a subsidy which entices communities to make long-term investments they may be ill-equipped to afford."

Burgum said the state needs to find an "off-ramp" to end the buydown.

While Burgum did not explain how that could be ac…