Bismarck to Allocate $269,942 From Burleigh County Tax Refund

Bismarck Approves $269,942 Reimbursement Plan Following Burleigh County Tax Error

Bismarck city commissioners have approved a plan to allocate an anticipated $269,942 reimbursement from Burleigh County, stemming from a property tax calculation mistake that affected local taxing entities across the region. According to reporting by KFYR, the county commission voted on October 19 to reimburse the impacted agencies, with the specific payout schedules slated to come before county commissioners for final approval on November 2.

The financial discrepancy traced back to how Burleigh County calculated the 2025 mill levies used for 2026 property taxes. During the calculation process, the county incorrectly rolled taxable valuations for mobile homes and in-lieu-of-tax properties straight into the real estate valuation base. That single oversight generated a cumulative shortfall of about $900,000 for the various local taxing entities caught in the crossfire.

How Bismarck Plans to Distribute the Funds

City staff recommended treating the incoming funds as if the property taxes had been collected accurately from the start. Burleigh County intends to draw directly from its reserve funds to cover the shortage, sparing local services an abrupt budgetary shock.

Longtime Burleigh County Emergency Manager Mary Senger is being hired as the first holder of the newly created county administrator position. https://t.co/4HbiLkC4DG

— https://x.com/bistrib/status/2041580536368353727

Bismarck’s internal allocation plan divides the $269,942 reimbursement across four specific municipal accounts:

General fund: $231,470
Public library: $21,787
Public transportation: $10,893
Specials deficiency: $5,791

City Administrator Jason Tomanek outlined the mechanics of the recovery during the commissioners’ meeting. Burleigh County officials have instituted fresh verification procedures to prevent similar calculation errors from happening in future tax cycles.

“Kudos for the county for coming around and doing the right thing so we can move forward for our citizens,” Commissioner Michael Connelly said.