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Sheriff pitches sales tax to fund patrols and return property-tax credits; subcommittee named
Summary
Sheriff Andy Schneider proposed a targeted sales tax to fund patrol operations and provide property-tax credits for Grand Forks County homeowners; the commission agreed to form a subcommittee to draft language and analyze business impacts.
Chair Hagan invited Sheriff Andy Schneider to present an idea to shift sheriff-patrol funding to a local sales tax and return property-tax credits to county homeowners. Sheriff Schneider argued the county serves nonresidents as well as residents and suggested a targeted sales-tax approach. "So, I thought, what does it hurt, if if we put it out to the people and they say no?" he said, urging clear, narrowly tailored language to avoid mission creep.
Sheriff Schneider and commissioners discussed estimates and guardrails: he cited an approximate $6.5 million sheriff-office budget (not counting contracted services) and noted that a 1% city sales tax produced roughly $13.65 million in 2025. Commissioners supported forming a small working group to develop language and analysis; Chair Hagan appointed Commissioner Houdney, Sheriff Schneider, the state's attorney, Chair Hagan and administrator Mister Ford to the subcommittee.
