Letter To The Editor

Concerning county property taxes in Roosevelt County, I consider them to be way too high. Since the county receives a fair amount of money from the oil industry within the county and the county also receives a fair amount of revenue from the legal sale of marijuana, why has county property taxes not gone down? When marijuana was legalized, the understanding was that the revenue from it would lower property taxes. Well, it did not happen.

Many homes in Wolf Point are appraised by the state and county at a much higher value that they would ever sell for. Thus, they are over taxed.

I realize that I am on the outside of the budget and looking in, but I see the sheriff department has new vehicles, a very expensive detention center (jail) and a new building on Dawson Street. Yet I haven’t seen crime rate or drug problems go down. I believe in education and sports, but I’m sure the school systems could trim budgets. I’ve met many snow plow trucks on the highway when there was no snow to plow, are they just burning fuel and putting in man hours?

The county commissioners are rarely in the office a full 40 hours a week, therefore, maybe their position and wages should be reduced by half. It is a true statement that if an entity has access to money, they will usually spend it rather than be conservative. The county needs to lower taxes, not raise them.

Everyone needs money. Landowners and home owners also need money. Businesses need money. A community needs to realize it cannot tax itself to prosperity.

The county and its departments need to learn to lower or stay within their budgets. Thus, eliminate excess or unnecessary spending.

Milton Berglee