Fargo school board votes 5-4 not to participate in proposed downtown tax-incentive pilot

President Christensen Meineer convened the Fargo Board of Education meeting and, after a lengthy discussion at the request of the planning committee, the board voted 5-4 to notify the City of Fargo that Fargo Public Schools will not participate in the proposed tax incentives for the Central at the Horizon project.

The motion, introduced by Planning Chair Greg and seconded on the floor, instructed the board president to notify the city that the district would not participate “due to their duration and the relative community benefit,” as summarized in the planning committee recommendation. Greg framed the issue as the first of its kind for the full nine-member board and said the district needs a policy to guide such decisions.

Several board members pressed for more nuance and data. Board member Melissa cautioned that the federal and state rules for incentives are complex and said a “binary yes/no” vote does not capture the subtleties; she said the parcel is a former power plant with limited uses and suggested the project could still be beneficial for…