Regional councils urge larger state appropriation for HB 1524 to boost rural project capacity

At a hearing of the Senate Industry and Business Committee, municipal and regional leaders urged lawmakers to increase the state appropriation in House Bill 1524 so regional planning councils can hire staff and expand capacity to deliver housing, childcare, workforce and infrastructure projects across North Dakota.

Representative Dave Munson, who introduced the bill, told the committee the measure was originally drafted as an $8 million appropriation to be split among the state's eight regional planning councils but the House reduced that amount to $2.4 million after earlier proposals that would have cut funding to $1 million. "My intention is not to change a whole lot as far as the makeup," Munson said, describing the bill as meant to support councils that already perform regional planning and project development.

Supporters said the money would be used primarily for operations and hiring dedicated staff to convert planning and grant awards into completed projects. "Funding alone isn't going to get the job done. It's going to take someone to put those pieces together," said Taryn Doerr…