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Williston denies Menard, Inc. tax-abatement request for 2023 assessment
Summary
The Board of City Commissioners voted unanimously to deny a 2023 tax-abatement application from Menard, Inc.; the assessor and staff reported measurement and valuation discrepancies and recommended denial based on available data.
The Williston Board of City Commissioners voted 5-0 on Nov. 25 to deny Menard, Inc.’s application for a property tax abatement or refund for tax year 2023.
Kristi Gutierrez, the city’s commercial assessor, presented the case and told the board that Menard’s 2023 assessment was $29,801,430 and the company (represented by Ryan LLC) requested a valuation of $20,885,000. Gutierrez said that the only supporting analysis on file from the applicant was a Marshall & Swift cost analysis and that a 38,000-square-foot discrepancy in the applicant's stated measurement had been identified; the assessor said the city would correct its measurement in 2026 but that the available data supported denying the abatement request for 2023.
President Howard Klug opened the public hearing, asked for comment three times, and, hearing none, closed the hearing. Commissioner Bervig moved to deny the abatement; Commissioner Bekkedahl seconded. The motion carried 5-0.
The minutes record the denial and the rationale from the assessor that the data reviewed did not support the applicant's requested valuation. The record does not include additional public testimony or an alternative appraisal provided to the board at the hearing.
