As the Jamestown Sun reports, Mayor Dwaine Heinrich delivered his State of the City address on Thursday, criticizing the North Dakota Legislature for creating “chaos at the local level.” Heinrich praised the property tax reform that grants $1,600 tax buydowns on primary residences, but called the 3% annual cap on local levy increases “not workable” for Jamestown, which ranks fourth lowest in the state in per-capita taxable property value at approximately $39,000. The mayor expressed frustration over the failure of Senate Bill 2225, which would have established grants covering one-third of infrastructure costs for residential development projects. Despite challenges, Heinrich acknowledged the progress in Jamestown over 47 years, including University of Jamestown’s transformation, a new high school, hosting state basketball tournaments, and business park developments. He spoke on the ongoing infrastructure improvements, including a $9 million water main replacement project funded entirely through grants without local tax dollars.
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