Impact of Vote

  • On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, Fargo Public Schools will hold an election for approval of a specified mill levy.  The approval would grant Fargo Public Schools the authority to maintain its current standard of effort at 127.00 mills.  

    The March 7, 2017 election ballot question is:

    The current Fargo Public School District’s general fund levy is 127.00 mills. The current statutory general fund limitation is seventy mills on the dollar of the taxable valuation of the school district.

    Shall Fargo Public Schools District No. 1 have a specified general fund mill levy of 127.00 mills effective December 31, 2017?

  • A “YES” vote will allow Fargo Public Schools to receive tax dollars based on the true assessed value of individual property.  This will allow FPS to continue to provide quality educational opportunities for all students in the district.

    A “NO” vote will freeze Fargo Public Schools at the actual property tax dollars collected in the 2015-16 fiscal year, which means the district would no longer receive additional general fund tax dollars based on the true assessed value of individual property as the city grows or property values change.

     

    If voters approve the ballot question, will my taxes be raised?
    Property taxes will not increase directly as a result of a “yes” vote in this election.  Homeowners would only have an increase in property taxes as a result of a property valuation increase as set by the City of Fargo’s Assessment Department or a levy increase by the other taxing entities (i.e., City, Park District, or Cass County).

    If voters do not approve the ballot question, will my taxes go down?
    The result of this vote is not the sole indicator of whether or not your property taxes will increase or decrease.  The FPS portion of your property tax may decrease if your house was not reassessed.  However, the overall value of your property is the key indicator of your tax bill and any increase in that value may impact the amount of taxes you pay.  The School District does not assess home value – that is the function of the City of Fargo’s Assessment Department.

    The table below illustrates the impact of 127 mills on:

    • A $200,000 home
    • A $200,000 home with a 5% increased property value
    • A $200,000 home with a 10% increased property value
Mill Levy Tax Example