Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney: Focus should be on Property Tax cuts, not Income Tax relief

Photo by: WDAY Radio Staff
Photo by: WDAY Radio Staff

(Fargo, ND) -- Fargo's Mayor is sounding off on what he believes should be the main focus when it comes to tax relief for North Dakotans.

"Property Tax touches more people in a manner in which you feel it," said Mayor Tim Mahoney while appearing on The Flag's What's on Your Mind program. "If people are on a fixed income, average increase price of a house is 5% a year over a ten-year period, wouldn't it be nice to have a 5% reduction of your property tax to help you stay in your home."

Mahoney noted that if there is a joint plan to help with Property Tax and Income Tax, that could also land fairly well with people not only in Fargo, but around the state.

"If you can balance that (Income Tax relief) with the state taking that 5% off property taxes, then I think that is a better match than just Income Tax relief on its own."

The Fargo Mayor also discussed his concerns over legislation being circulated in Bismarck that could remove the approval voting system in place for the city of Fargo.

Mahoney said that possible legal issues could block approval voting, in which voters check multiple candidates they want for a single position, from being banned on the state level. He says the decision should come down to individual cities or possible petitions to remove approval voting in those cities being filed.