701-566-9300The North Dakota House has passed HB1524 which provides $2.4 million in new funding for the next biennium. The money is divided between the eight Regional Planning Councils. The Association strongly supports these councils and the work and role they perform is vital to rural North Dakota across the state. These councils leverage a small amount of funds to assist communities, townships, and counties with many projects. Smaller jurisdictions or political subdivisions don’t have the staff, expertise, or financial resources to fulfill the ever-increasing and more challenging needs of rural North Dakota. These councils can provide services to write grants or search for other funding sources.
In addition to the funding secured, the further leveraging of those funds, and the jobs created or retained, these councils play another valuable role. They further support agriculture as an excellent resource for locating and facilitating necessary resources to assist with statutory or regulatory matters. This legislation has already proceeded to the Senate chamber for consideration.
In addition, the Senate has approved two other bills that would provide some similar assistance to rural North Dakota, including SB 2097 and SB 2390.
SB 2390 provides for the creation of a rural catalyst committee to assist communities in the state with quality-of-life improvement projects to strengthen existing community systems, organizations, and individuals in partnership with each regional council. The funding appropriation is $5 million.
SB 2097 is similar and provides for the creation of a rural community endowment fund and a rural community endowment fund committee. The fund’s purpose is to provide grants to rural communities in the state to support, create, or improve local housing, workforce, business recruitment and commerce, infrastructure, or other community needs. This funding appropriation also is $5 million.
Ultimately, we want House Bill 1524 enacted as is, or with additional funding, and the two Senate bills combined into one piece of legislation with combined funding of at least $10 million or more. (Unlike a large serving of chocolate ice cream, here, more definitely is better.) Thanks for your continued support of the Association’s legislative agenda.