The full picture · 2 sources
Burleigh County to reimburse taxing entities for $900,000 property tax calculation error
Updated Oct 21, 9:09 AM CT. Every fact below links to the source that reported it.
What the primary sources show
- Burleigh County commissioners voted 5-0 on Monday to use county general fund reserves to reimburse taxing entities affected by a property tax calculation error. [KFYR-TV] [North Dakota's Watchdog Update]
- The error involved incorrectly including mobile home values and in-lieu-of-tax payments in the 2025 mill levy calculations, which resulted in a lower tax rate and less revenue collected. [North Dakota's Watchdog Update]
- State's Attorney Julie Lawyer advised that the county bore responsibility for the error and should make reimbursements to fix the mistake. [KFYR-TV]
- The county auditor's office was not involved in the mill levy calculations; instead, an interim finance director performed the work, contrary to state law which assigns that duty to the elected county auditor. [North Dakota's Watchdog Update]
- Finance Director Taylor Schmitt said the final reimbursement amounts could be slightly lower than initially estimated and will require commissioner approval at the next meeting. [KFYR-TV]
What they left out / still unanswered
- What are the exact final reimbursement amounts for each affected taxing entity?
- When will the reimbursements be paid to the affected entities?
- Will the county conduct a review of how the auditor's office came to be excluded from the mill levy calculation process?
Official line vs. how each source framed it
- KFYR-TV: KFYR-TV reports the commissioners' vote to immediately fix the error through reimbursement, with the state's attorney confirming the county's legal obligation to do so. Read it → · Ads
- North Dakota's Watchdog Update: North Dakota's Watchdog examines the governance breakdown that allowed the error, documenting that the county auditor was sidelined in violation of state law and questioning the authority of the interim finance director to perform the auditor's statutory duties. Read it →
701 News writes these summaries from the sources above and checks every sentence against them. Read the originals for the full reporting. Corrections