Property taxes are an issue in North Dakota.   Bismarck Tribune reporter Brian Duggan takes a look at them in his two-part series. 

From the article:

When lawmakers converged in Bismarck this winter to tinker with tax codes and tax relief, they knew something was going to be different this session — namely the state’s $1.2 billion in its reserves, despite a sour national economy.

Things have changed since then as an estimated $650 million in federal stimulus money starts flowing into the state while the costs of record flooding in North Dakota are bound to capture the attention of lawmakers during the fleeting weeks of the 2009 Legislature.

While the 80-day legislative deadline nears, a picture of what kind of tax relief North Dakotans can expect is becoming clearer, including a $295 million property tax relief package and another $114 million income tax cut that are both in committees. 

“All of it’s a moving target right now,” said Rep. Ken Svedjan, R-Grand Forks, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, currently handling this session’s property tax relief package.

Read the complete first installment here.