Should non-county residents be taxed for GF jail?

Last week, the fine folks of Thompson, N.D., approved the building of a $1.2 million school addition.

We voted to pay for it ourselves. We're so naive.

If we weren't such innocent yokels, we would have forced residents of East Grand Forks, Winnipeg, Grafton, Crookston and Moose Jaw, Sask., to help pay the bill. After all, that's what others do.

The next attempt at pawning off a financial burden on outsiders probably will come from Grand Forks County. The commissioners likely will ask voters in June to approve a 1 percent county sales tax to pay for its $16 million jail.

A poll of county residents gave lukewarm support (56 percent) for the sales tax. The surprise is that the number isn't higher because only county residents were asked.

Using just property taxes paid by county residents, it will take 17 years to pay off the jail. Using a 1 percent sales tax, it takes only four years. So, the poll question is basically this: "Do you want just county residents to pay for it or do you want others such as visitors from Moose Jaw to pay, lowering the amount you pay?"

That's a no-brainer question, unless you have principles.

The city of Grand Forks already has a 1.75 percent sales tax. This can be justified in part because out-of-town shoppers benefit from police, fire, sewer, water and other local services.

But how do Crookston residents benefit from our new, budget-buster jail? They're paying off their own new jail in Crookston, in fact.

As Grand Forks County residents who pay property taxes, the Bakkens will benefit financially from a sales tax that digs into the pockets of innocent bystanders. But does it pass the sniff test?

Yup, if we had been thinking in Thompson, we would have enacted our own sales tax on residents of Grand Forks and Moose Jaw to help pay for our school improvement. Williston, N.D., has a 1 percent sales tax to pay for a new middle school and other remodeling projects. Fargo also floated a sales tax vote to benefit its schools in 2006, but it was defeated.

Granted, with only a convenience store, restaurant and bar in Thompson to collect sales taxes, revenues would be small. But maybe it would have paid for the

Sheetrock.

Or perhaps it would have done the trick if we had piggybacked a sales tax with a $5 parking fee for Thompson High School sporting events and a $1 road toll for gravel replacement.

Bakken reports on local news and writes a column. Reach him at 780-1125, (800) 477-6572 ext. 125 or rbakken@gfherald.com .