taxes

With an increase in appraisal values across Missoula, the City Council will levy fewer mills to raise more revenue for next year's fiscal budget. It's also looking to fund more than $6.3 million in new programs, bringing the city's total tax-supported revenue to $111 million – up from $105 million last year.

he resort tax in Whitefish will once again be on the ballot, but this time the question will be whether to put a portion of the funds toward housing.

Calling housing, inequity and climate a city-wide goal shared by the vast majority of residents, Mayor Jordan Hess on Monday framed his new executive budget based upon the state's new property appraisals and said a tax increase was inevitable.

Jim Elliott writes, "Because of the biennial reappraisal of residential property, most Montanans are faced with huge increases in the values of their homes and the Montana Department of Revenue has done its best to get our attention."

With the budget season nearing its end, the City of Missoula expects to receive its final tax numbers on Monday. The results have significant implications for the city and county's new fiscal year budget.

Arizonans can now look forward to relief from rental taxes, after Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill on Tuesday that bars cities from collecting them starting in 2025.

Voters in Missoula this November will consider a request by the fire department to levy up to 40 mills to fund a new fire company, a new station, the Mobile Support Team, equipment and costs over time.

Laura Smith writes, "At the end of the day, regular Montanans got hung out to dry when it comes to a long-term property tax solution. And there was only one party trying to prevent that. Your Montana Democrats."

CI-121 would have based residential property’s assessed value on what it was in 2019, then limited any increases in value to no more than 2% per year. Property could only be reassessed to its new market value after it was sold or substantially improved.

Dick Barrett writes, "Even if reappraisal had been neutralized by the Republican legislature, we would still be left with the regressive property tax system we have in place today, with hardly any relationship between tax bills and ability to pay."