taxes

Missoula County on Tuesday approved a resolution allowing the Montana Association of Counties to represent it in a suit before the Montana Supreme Court regarding school equalization mills and how many it's required to levy.

As more counties join an effort to challenge the state’s interpretation of property tax law, the legal questions could now be considered in the Montana Supreme Court.

The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered all 56 counties in Montana to submit responses during the next month to a request from the Montana Quality Education Coalition that the court require each county to levy the full 95 state education equalization mills as some counties try to levy less from their residents because of property tax increases.

Missoula County this week signed a number of contracts with local providers that infuses the organizations with a combined $900,000 to provide a range of social services, from housing stabilization to transportation.

Montanans who qualify for a $675 property tax rebate but didn’t apply this year are out of luck.

The two candidates vying for the title as Missoula's next mayor touched on their priorities Tuesday in a forum that covered housing, taxes, the local economy, and government needs versus wants.

Citing standing Montana law, Missoula County on Thursday joined other counties across the state in levying fewer mills than what the state believes it's entitled to through school equalization.

Sue Kirchmyer writes, "I find this so sad because we all need to bring our creativity and good will to this problem. Realtors have expertise and have potential to openly contribute to our community. "

According to the Department of Revenue, Montana’s total taxable value is roughly $4.7 billion. If the state equalization mills were lowered by 17, as the counties are proposing, that would reduce collections by about $80 million this year.

State auditors say the Arizona Commerce Authority spent $2.4 million on travel, luxury hotel rooms, alcohol and tickets to events — including Super Bowl LVII — in an effort to woo CEOs to relocate or expand their companies to Arizona.