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Committee holds township-funding bill pending updated data and fiscal note
Summary
Senate Bill 2142, a measure affecting township funding eligibility and grant distribution, was held for further analysis. Members requested updated 2024 tax data and a fiscal note before proceeding; senators also discussed the broader context of township funding increases and allocation methodology.
Senate Bill 2142, which would change funding rules for townships (including eligibility tied to mill levies and classification of oil-producing counties), was held for further consideration after committee members requested updated tax-department data and a fiscal note.
Senator Romo asked to hold the bill while 2024 information from the North Dakota Tax Department is obtained; he told the committee that 2023 data showed a large number of townships that would be disqualified under the proposed threshold and he wanted updated figures to understand the bill’s scope. "I would like to make sure that we have the most accurate information… I have requested the 2024 information," Romo said.
Committee discussion ranged from the scale of prior township appropriations — members recounted that township funding rose from about $36 million to $86 million and then to $106 million over successive biennia — to a sponsor request that further work on county oil-producing definitions and prioritization be completed. One senator summarized the aggregate township requests across committees as roughly $296 million (a 780% increase from earlier baselines), and members expressed concern about equitable allocation and whether a statewide priority list is needed to direct funds to the highest-need roads and bridges.
Senators asked for additional drafting work, including an amendment to determine non–oil-producing county definitions by production rather than dollars, and requested a fiscal note and updated tax-year data. The committee agreed to move SB 2142 to the following week to continue discussions and to allow sponsors to refine the bill text and provide the requested information.
No formal committee vote on the merits of SB 2142 was taken during the session; the item was postponed for further work.
