Americans for Prosperity of North Dakota

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 29th, 2007
AFP Contact: Duane Sand (701) 223-9887
Local Contact: Terry Bjerke (701) 746-1017

Grand Forks County Commissioners Set to Steal Taxpayers’ Christmas Joy with Proposed Sales Tax Hike

Grand Forks, ND – Once again, taxpayers are supposed to foot the bill for Grand Forks County’s irresponsible spending habits: that’s the message the taxpayer watchdog group Americans for Prosperity – North Dakota (AFP-ND) issued today on the heels of news that the County Commission would seek a 1-cent sales tax hike under the guise of rolling back a portion of this year’s mill levy increase.

“Hiking taxes in order to deliver tax relief is a dangerously ridiculous plan that citizens shouldn’t buy into for one minute. Grand Forks County increased their property tax levy by 10.29 mills for the 2008 budget year.  Now they want to impose a 1-cent sales tax on economic activity in the county to reduce the property tax by 8.26 to 10 mills.  So even in the commission’s best case scenario, local residents will still have higher property taxes and they will also have a new sales tax to contend with,” said Duane Sand, North Dakota Director of Americans for Prosperity.

“We have seen this happen so many times. The government imposes a tax and says it is for one purpose and that it will go away.  These kinds of taxes never go away.  Just like in Fargo with the Fargo Dome sales tax, they will just find a new reason to keep the tax,” said local resident Terry Bjerke.

“The ink of AFP’s report on over-taxation in Grand Forks County is hardly dry, and already the County Commission is trying to gouge taxpayers again.  When elected officials make mistakes, everyone pays.  Local voters and taxpayers must not allow their elected officials the luxury of passing their poor choices on to the taxpayers.  Passing the buck is no longer an option,” concluded Sand.

Click here for the full Grand Forks Report.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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