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County commissioner lays out 2026 budget priorities: no tax increase, targeted cuts and revenue ideas
Summary
A county commissioner presented a long set of priorities for the 2026 budget, urging no property- or sales-tax increases, proposing department cuts and fee reviews, and recommending revenue measures and operational changes to address projected debt service and capital needs.
A county commissioner presented a detailed set of budget goals and priorities at the Grand Forks County Commission meeting April 1, urging the board to avoid property‑tax and sales‑tax increases for 2026 while pursuing targeted spending cuts and new revenue sources.
“I campaigned on no sales tax. I campaigned on no property tax increase, and I am not deviating from that,” the commissioner said, outlining a plan the speaker described as relying on new growth only and a combination of additional revenue and spending reductions. The speaker said the county faces roughly $4 million in debt service in 2026 and an average of about $3.7 million per year in debt service over the next six years, in addition to a six‑year capital improvement plan that includes roof and boiler repairs and a courthouse sewage project.
The commissioner proposed multiple revenue and cost‑saving measures, including:
- Pursuing non‑property revenue by leasing additional county office space and…
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