Fargo’s 2025 budget: Yes there is room to cut unnecessary spending
While slightly lower than the $133 million the City Commission approved on August 5, Fargo’s 2025 budget proposal is still 10 percent higher than what the city spent in 2024 — inflation not considered. At about $132 million, the current proposal is also over 12 percent higher than what Fargo spent in 2023.
Figure 1: Fargo city budget, 2023-2025
Fargo residents are right to push back. And given the long list of non-essential services that taxpayers are funding, lawmakers are right to consider further trimming the budget.
Consider the following expenses, some of which could be put on the chopping block, and rightly so.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
North Dakota’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department is slated to cost the city almost $300 million in the proposed budget. This is 5 percent higher than its 2024 cost, and 11 percent higher than its 2023 cost. Inflation, however, has grown by just less than 3 percent between 2023 and 2024.
With two full-time employees, it is not clear what the DEI department provides to the taxpayers of Fargo, despite its rising cost. It’s a good thing that lawmakers are considering cutting the department.
Local Airport
The city of Fargo is slated to give Fargo’s Hector International Airport $1.6 million even though the Airport is operating on a surplus. Specifically, some city commissioners have argued against stripping away Airport funding, citing that the city needs to keep its financial commitment to the airport.
But circumstances. There is no good reason for Fargo taxpayers to keep a commitment to funding the city’s Airport simply because of prior promises.
Infrastructure like airports are usually best funded directly through user fees and not general tax levies. This, promising to fund the airport expansion was problematic from the start. Continuing with p with it despite the Airport surplus would be a slap in the face to taxpayers.
Bloated public health spending
At $16 million and over 100 employees, Fargo Cass Public Health is the seventh biggest department in the City Budget. However, Cass County and the state of North Dakota also provide public health services. This means that there is potential room to scale down duplicative services.
The proposal to scale down the public health program by cutting some employees could be a good way to rein in unnecessary spending.
Communications
Certainly, Fargo’s local government needs to communicate with its citizens. However, it’s questionable whether this necessitates a 12-member Communications team costing over $2 million, especially considering Fargo’s population.
Make your voice heard
Fargo City Commission has until the end of September to approve a final budget. In the meantime, take some time to voice your concerns about the proposed spending increase.
You can:
- Email Fargo City Commissioners through American Experiment.
- Testify in person at a listening event scheduled for Monday, September 16, at 4:30 PM at Fargo City Hall.