HELENA, Mont. — Gov. Greg Gianforte’s property tax task force released 12 recommendations Thursday aimed at reducing the burden on taxpayers.
Members of the group, including Republican State Sen. Greg Hertz, made that guidance public more than seven months after Gianforte launched the group.
“We need to have long-term property tax relief for Montana full-time residents and small business owners, and I think these recommendations achieve providing long-term relief for those two taxpayers,” Hertz, who represents the Polson area, said.
The written report lays out 12 proposals, starting with the idea of a homestead exemption. It would lower tax rates for primary residences, long-term rentals and commercial properties below a certain threshold.
The recommendation estimates the exemption would reduce taxes for more than 215,000 primary residences, over 32,000 commercial properties and indirectly for more than 130,000 Montana renters.
Other proposals would make voter levies, excluding bond levies, sunset after 10 years. Members are also recommending the levies be restricted to dollar amounts instead of mills.
Notably, the report suggests requiring 60% of voters to approve a levy rather than a simple majority.
“Right now in Montana, due to some times when elections are held, we have a minority of voter turnout and then a majority of those turning out are levying taxes on all the taxpayers,” Hertz said. “So what we’re looking at is getting more taxpayers involved in the voting process and encouraging local governments and schools to explain their needs better to all the taxpayers out there so that more people will buy n and support their local schools and local governments.”
The report ends by asking the state legislature to review current property tax assistance programs. This would not reduce the coverage but possibly increase it, Hertz told NBC Montana.
“As inflation goes up, the value of homes go up, we need to make sure that those who qualify still qualify and we’re not penalizing them,” he said.
