Griggs County approves 2026 budget after public complaint over special assessment

Griggs County commissioners voted to approve the county's 2026 budget at a special meeting on Oct. 6, 2025, after about 15 minutes of discussion and a public comment from a landowner who said she was being charged high assessments on her property.

The meeting, convened as a special session to approve the 2026 budget, began with roll call and a short public comment period. Resident Rose told commissioners she owns roughly 234–250 acres of tillable land and that her assessment for that property was “about $7,000.” She also said she was being charged an additional special assessment that she described as “almost $4,000 a year” and estimated she has paid “between $20,000 and $30,000” in those special assessments to date. Rose said she does not live in the county and objected to paying taxes without representation: “This is a matter of taxation without representation ... I don't live here anymore. I don't get a say, but I get the bill.”

County representatives advised Rose to speak with the county's tax director. Tax director Linda Morris was named during the exchange; another meeting participant told Rose that Morris’s phone number is on the county website and added, “Yes. She will happily help you out as much as she can.” The commissioners and staff clarified that taxable value adjustments are handled through the assessor/tax office, while special assessments on drainage or water projects typically come from the township or the water board.

Commissioners discussed budget constraints at several points. They said the county adhered to a 3% cap in budgeting to align with recent property tax reform passed by the state legislature, and noted limited flexibility for adding recurring costs: any increase this year would be subject to the same cap in the following year. Commissioners also discussed one-time revenue and reserves: they said roughly $62,000 remained from earlier COVID-relief funds, and that about $38,000 had been reallocated elsewhere. To cover facility needs, the board placed $30,000 into a new courthouse maintenance line.

The formal motion to adopt the 2026 budget was made by Veil and seconded by Zorn. The motion was carried by voice vote; commissioners recorded as voting aye were Zorn, Hedlund, Gabriel, Lauren and Charmaine. The chair announced, “Motion carried.”

At the end of the meeting the board thanked Sam (county staff) for preparing the budget documents and managing questions during the review. The special meeting adjourned at approximately 6:18 p.m. The next scheduled meeting was noted as Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, at 9 a.m.