For many residents of the Bismarck-Mandan area, it's all about the money - or, more precisely, the lack of money.

In response to a Bismarck Tribune online survey that asked readers to identify their top regional concerns, respondents ranked wages and property taxes at the top of the list. When asked to consider national issues, the Iraq war and healthcare coverage were the top concerns.

Of the 298 readers who took the survey, 223, or 75 percent of all survey takers, rated wages among their top five concerns. Of them, 77, or 26 percent of the total, rated wages as their No. 1 issue.

Among those concerned is Bismarck resident Sheryl Hetletved, a single mother of two young sons who said she struggles to make it on her salary as a customer service representative.

"The biggest challenge is having to choose between diapers, pull-ups or gas or milk," she said.

Hetletved, 28, said she's learned that wages in her line of work are much higher in nearby areas such as Minneapolis, but said moving would be a large expense. Instead, she's taking classes at Aakers College in hopes of getting the education she needs to move up the ranks.

"I'm doing it because I want to give them a better life," she said of her sons, 4-year-old Jesse and 2-year-old Elijah.

Residents' concern with wages is supported by the statistics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, wages in Burleigh and Morton counties averaged $15.92 an hour in 2006, which is 21 percent less than the national average of $19.29 per hour.

The gap exists despite a lower than average unemployment rate. In July, North Dakota's unemployment rate was 2.8 percent, versus a national average of 4.6 percent. For the same period in 2006, the year of the average wage data, North Dakota's unemployment rate was 3.2 percent versus a national average of 4.8 percent.

Of course, the other side of how much money people have is the cost of living. Though the overall cost of living is considered low here on a national scale, property taxes registered as a big concern among survey takers.

Of the 298 readers who took the survey, 208, or 70 percent of all survey takers, rated property taxes among their top five concerns. Of them, 56, or 19 percent, rated property taxes as their No. 1 issue.

North Dakota ranks 25th nationwide in property taxes, according to the tax commissioner's office. But with many elderly residents on fixed incomes and farmers with large land holdings, rising property taxes have become a matter of concern in North Dakota over the last few years.

Other concerns for the Bismarck-Mandan area and North Dakota included concern for city growth and new energy development, both of which were seen as a priority by 65 percent of respondents, and population loss, a priority for 56 percent of respondents.

In a separate poll, the Tribune asked policymakers such as state officials, legislators and the congressional delegation to rate their top issues.

Although this poll only netted 18 responses, it showed new energy development and property taxes as the top priorities among policymakers. New energy was a concern for 71 percent of policymakers. Both were concerns for 66 percent of policymakers, while wages, the public's No. 1 concern, concerned 56 percent of policymakers.

State Sen. Ray Holmberg, a Grand Forks Republican who took the poll, said he was unsurprised at the policymakers' picks, given that new energy and property taxes were big issues during the last legislative session. As chairman of the appropriations committee, which must approve every bill that carries an appropriation, he said legislators also spent a fair amount of time with issues such as the economy.

"I think we try to think of all those things and debate all those things during a session and interim, though they probably don't get as much time as they should," he said.

On the national front, policymakers' priorities were a perfect match to the public. Both rated the Iraq war and healthcare as most significant.

Other respondents utilized the "other" category to express their concern about a variety of issues not mentioned in the main survey. Suggestions included a lack of adequate north-south traffic flow in Bismarck, a drift toward socialism, lack of exposure for presidential candidate Ron Paul in the Bismarck Tribune, and management of state water resources such as the Missouri River and Devils Lake.

Joe Novak, 85, of Bismarck, added a lack of in-home care for the elderly and the national debt as two of his top concerns.

Novak said he had a lot of trouble a few years back when trying to find affordable in-home care for himself and his wife, Norma. Novak said he was one of the lucky ones who found somebody, but he knows many friends who haven't been as fortunate.

A retired human resources consultant, Novak said one of his top national concerns is the amount of debt being rung up by our government.

"The whole philosophy seems to be buy now and pay later, and the ones who are going to have to pay later are our kids," he said.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@;bismarcktribune.com.)