Story, sidebar and data visualization by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Aug. 21, 2016, Front Page
FARGO, N.D. – The two charts that the Diversion Authority presented to city and county officials are pretty much all the information that’s public right now about the financial plan.
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The Forum requested the numbers behind those charts for analysis and to combine them into one chart for a better sense of scale, but the authority’s consultants denied the request. Using graphic-design software, The Forum measured the heights of the bars and lines in the charts to 1/10,000 of an inch.
Story and legal research by Tu-Uyen Tran, Center for Public Integrity, Nov. 9, 2015
In the 2015 State Integrity Investigation, a data-driven assessment by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity that examines transparency and accountability, North Dakota ranked tied for 37th among the 50 states with a score of 60, a D-. The low grade doesn’t suggest the presence of corruption, but indicates that the state’s institutions are ill equipped to fight corruption should it emerge.
Story by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Nov. 27, 2016, Front Page
FARGO, N.D. – Tax breaks are under the microscope in Fargo. After giving millions in incentives to businesses over the years, the tools the city uses to encourage development are being critically examined both locally and at the state level.
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City officials have begun compiling data on incentives to prepare for a legislative session next year in which North Dakota lawmakers may tighten state laws governing tax breaks. Fargo officials are studying how much incentivized properties have increased in value, for instance.
Story by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, March 31, 2016, Front Page
WEST FARGO, N.D. – Josh Ochocki got a letter in the mail the other day that said the value of his home had gone up ... way up.
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It wasn’t from a real estate agent but from the city assessor, and Ochocki was shocked. This is West Fargo, which has some of the hottest real estate markets in the metro area, but a $95,400 increase, or 29 percent, in one year seemed too high to him. Valuations are used to calculate property taxes and he said he’s worried his family won’t be able to afford the increase.
Story and graphics by Tu-Uyen Tran, Jan. 8, 2011, Grand Forks Herald, Front Page
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – If somebody said to you that if you give him $1, you’ll get $10.50 back, it’d sound a little suspicious. That’s what a recent report on the economic impact of the North Dakota University System sounds like, except we’re talking about millions and billions of dollars.
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In fiscal year 2009, every $1 the state spent on higher education had an economic impact of $10.50, data from the report shows.