Armstrong proposes 3% local budget cap, $1,000 homestead credit and new recovery commissioner in State of the State

Governor Kelly Armstrong outlined a package of tax, criminal‑justice and behavioral‑health proposals in his State of the State address to a joint session of the North Dakota Legislature.

Armstrong said the top priority of the 69th Legislative Assembly should be property tax relief and reform, and he proposed capping future increases in local property‑tax budgets at 3% with unused portions carried over for up to five years. "Providing real property tax relief and real reform must be number 1 on our agenda," Armstrong said.

The governor proposed increasing the existing primary‑residence property‑tax credit from $500 to $1,000 and creating a primary‑residence classification so the relief would be automatic rather than a claimable credit. He said the initial cost to the general fund for the credit increase is $310,000,000 and that the plan would use a dedicated stream of Legacy Fund earnings to…