BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota voters on Tuesday resoundingly defeated a proposal that would have made the state the first in the nation to abolish local property taxes.
Unofficial returns showed voters rejecting the constitutional amendment by well over 70 percent. Under the proposal, property taxes would have been eliminated and the Legislature ordered to supply replacement revenue to the local governments that depend on them. The state Tax Department estimated the needed sum would be more than $800 million annually.
More than 27,000 people signed petitions to put the amendment on the ballot. Its supporters say North Dakota’s property-tax system is unfair and riddled with exemptions.
The property-tax proposal gained currency in part because of North Dakota’s economic prosperity, fueled by an energy boom that has left the state treasury with surpluses greater than $1 billion.
