Port: Burgum’s ‘local control’ argument against uniform voting in North Dakota is bunk
MINOT, N.D. — Every time I hear a North Dakota politician start talking about “local control” I can’t help but laugh.
They almost never mean it. Local officials love to hoot and holler about “local control” when the Legislature is going to take some action they don’t, but they’re certainly not ashamed to duck local responsibility, and pass the buck to state policy makers, when property taxes get out of control.
Local control is important, don’t get me wrong. We have political subdivisions for a reason and, to a point, they don’t need to be micromanaged. But in the context of House Bill 1273, which would prohibit local communities from using approval or ranked-choice voting systems?
It’s a bunk argument. But that didn’t stop Gov. Doug Burgum from making it today when he voted House Bill 1273 .
