MOORHEAD (KFGO-AM) - The Moorhead City Council had no problem extending property tax rebates for new home construction and renovations. The vote to continue the rebate for another two years was unanimous. City Manager Mike Redlinger told the council the program has been "highly successful", evidenced by the boost in housing starts since the program was launched in 2012.
Redlinger said, "To be quite candid, I didn't think we'd be in this position this year, next year and probably not until 2017 or 2018 if we were lucky."
Community Development Manager Lisa Vatnsdal told council members marketing the rebate program is important. A new survey shows 34% of recent Moorhead home buyers are from Fargo or West Fargo. She said home buyers are shopping around and the rebates are very important in making a decision on where to buy.
The Clay County Commission and Moorhead School Board have not yet decided whether to continue their participation in the rebate program.