Three panelists, three views and one issue that each feel is out of control.

This combination made for a lively discussion during a public forum on property taxes Thursday evening in Williston.

North Dakota Policy Council Executive Director Brett Narloch summed up their attitude to a crowd of nearly 30 at the Airport International Inn.

"Something needs to be done about property taxes. They keep going up and up and up. Spending keeps going up and up and up. Something's got to give," said Narloch.

Panelists at the forum were state Sen. John Andrist, R-Crosby, North Dakota Taxpayers Association Executive Director Dustin Gawrylow and Bob Hale of Empower The Taxpayer. THE PANELISTS’ VIEWS

Hale's group was founded over two and half years ago.

The organization is trying to get an initiative on the ballot amending the North Dakota Constitution to abolish property taxes beginning in 2012.

Hale said they've been studying the problems associated with property taxes.

"We concluded that it simply isn't fixable," said Hale.

Andrist disagreed with the idea of abolishing them. He said they're the one area that local government has control of.

"If we abolish property taxes we're going to centralize all government services with the state government," said Andrist.

Andrist argued that these decisions should remain local. He said if local government can't rein in spending, can anyone trust the state to do so?

Gawrylow said the main issue is fixing the general problem of excessive government spending.

Gawrylow said he agreed with Andrist on eliminating local taxation to an extent, saying "the elimination of that ability of local government to overspend, it amounts to a state government power grab."

Q & A

Hale was asked about the loss of local control argument by those against the proposed initiative.

Hale said under the current system an average of 40 percent of revenue comes from property taxes. He said with "this bill, for the first time we'll have local control."

Andrist said the Legislature has nearly 150 officials from 45 different parts of the state with varied interests. He said many give in to pressure when it comes to increased spending.

Another problem is many spending bills come to the full Legislature near the end of the session where "we get an up or down vote."

Gawrylow said an initial step could be reducing mill levies to cancel out increases in property taxes. He proposed simplifying the tax structure so people can understand it.

Rather than spending because the money's there, he said a politician's default answer should be no, "but 'no' for a reason."

Hale finished by asking voters to sign his group's petition.

"We put this on the ballot, we'll have a vibrant debate across the state."