A $200-Million Call to Action

We’ll be honest. We have very mixed emotions here at HPR regarding the special June 30 election calling for a half-cent sales tax for flood mitigation. Like the rest of the community, we are somewhat split on the issue.

On The One Hand…

Fargo and the region recently survived a historic onslaught by the Red River, delivering a record crest and challenging all of us to rise to the occasion to keep the floodwaters at bay—which we did.

Many of our neighbors were not so fortunate, as well as countless folks around the entire region.

This spring’s flood was watched by a chunk of the world.

Since then, the discussion, rightfully so, has evolved from short-term protection to long-term solutions. Whereas before we were hearing more about southside Fargo flood mitigation, now the focus is more on community and region-wide flood management. Where before talk was more about special assessments and levys to pay for flood control, now we are being herded to a special election June 30 calling for a 20-year, $200-million sales tax to help fund our flood protection effort.

The vote requires a 60 percent majority. It has unanimous support of Fargo’s City Commission.

There is a common sentiment or sense that basically raises the question, “How could you NOT vote for flood protection?” And there is significant merit to that question.

Then, On The Other Hand…

Sales taxes are regressive taxes. The weight of regressive sales taxes falls heavier on poor people. We have grave concerns about that. Yet we all know of examples of sales taxes or requests to use sales taxes for all kinds of things from domes and arenas to infrastructure, jails, zoos, marketing plans, and big development projects like CityScapes. There are mixed views about the merits or successes—and failures—of some of these efforts.

Not only would such a sales tax for flood protection fall heavily on the shoulders of the ordinary lower and middle income residents, but it would also land smack dab on purchases of goods and services by countless thousands of non-Fargo residents. So, for example, folks in West Fargo who paid for their own flood diversion project, would now get to help pay for Fargo’s—as long as they’d choose to shop in Fargo. The same for Moorhead residents who likely will have to cough up funds for flood protection on their side of the river. Or folks from Lisbon or Valley City. Or Ada or Wahpeton. They all get to pay for theirs and ours.

Then there are all those people who simply come through town and shop. We will be hoisting our flood plan funding burden onto their shoulders.

Understandably, property owners in Fargo must be giddy at the possibility that the first line of funding will quite likely be a sales tax and not special assessments or levys requiring them to pay.

But, as the saying goes, people ought not count their chickens before they hatch.

So, In The Meantime…

We are mixed. Truthfully, even in HPR’s own circle, we cannot easily come up with a clear position that says vote yes or vote no. Part of our confusion, we suspect, emanates from the lack of clarity of what it is citizens would be buying into. There is no plan. There are tons of options and possibilities, but no plan; no one knows and it is likely we will not know for some time.

We all know we need to do something—or many things. But we do not know the costs, the issues and concerns, the pros and the cons, the ups and the downs. We are being asked essentially to support our city’s future flood management efforts with a sales tax, period.

Politically, we don’t blame city fathers for striking while the fire is hot. That is prudent in many regards. We do, however, expect clarity of the plan and vision they are asking people to buy into, and we expect that property owners will at some point pay a fair share. And, like everyone else, we are in concert celebrating our successes fighting the 2009 Flood and in agreeing that we need long-term protection that is watershed-wide based.

Regardless, make sure you vote June 30 so it truly is a mandate of the people, not just of a small few with a vested interest who remember to show up in a lightly-advertised, off-year election, because you will pay for it for 20 years if it passes.