(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors met in special session this (Mon.) morning with a public hearing on the county’s proposed levy for the upcoming fiscal year the lone item on the agenda. One person who commented said some residents, especially those on fixed incomes, are being taxed out of their homes…
“Our customers, our taxpayers, are to a breaking point. Our taxes are too high. Taxes are creating an affordability issue in our beautiful county that you all love, and I know all these people love because they’re in attendance today.”
The same speaker called on the supervisors to reduce the levies by dipping into reserves and carryovers…
“Am I complaining? No. We have reserve. I am now asking for fairness for the taxpayers who paid that money for us to serve and protect the customers of Dickinson county.”
Supervisor Steve Clark said he agrees on several fronts…
“I agree. Taxes are too high. The carryover is too high. And we are going to have to do some tax cutting because that’s what the Legislature is going to demand of us. I think some of it needs to be done this year because there may be a one to three year implementation of the new tax bill, but that’s not signed by the Governor yet, so we don’t know where that’s going. I would hate to try to do it all in one year, get down to 35 percent, but I’m definitely considering everything that’s been presented to me today and in the previous six months.”
A public hearing on the proposed budget itself will be held in coming weeks.
