McKenzie County Commissioners Approve Budget 22.2 Million Dollars

The McKenzie County Board of Commissioners trimmed the County budget by another $439, 359 with the cooperation of Department Heads who were asked to cut 1% from the operations portion of their department’s budget proposed Sept. 19th. This, along with the elimination of 2.5 newly suggested positons, allowed the Commission to meet its goal of providing needed services efficiently and in a fiscally responsible manner.

“Our citizens will continue to receive the high quality service they receive now, even with a decrease in the budget. Road and bridge projects remain at the forefront of our priorities to keep our residents and businesses productive and safe. We worked diligently on this budget to keep our property tax increases at a net zero, while being prudent and responsive,” said Chairman Douglas Nordby.

McKenzie County has one of the lowest mill levies in the State. Roughly 30% of the county budget will be funded from Gross Production Tax (GPT), which is redistributed through the North Dakota Legislature to support local political subdivisions impacted by oil and gas production. Oil and Gas assessed properties including oil and gas pipelines, gas plants, electrical transmission lines, and railroads, pay 52% of the budget. Commercial assessed property contributes 32% of the budget, Residential property assessment pays 10 % of the budget, and Agricultural property pays 6% of the approved budget.