Proposing property tax changes
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Elections are over, committee assignments have been made, legislators are in the process of requesting bill drafts and Montana’s 64th legislation session will begin on Jan. 5. It is an honor and pleasure to serve Montana in the legislature. If you are interested in following the legislative session, one of the best resources to track Montana’s legislature is to use the website http://leg.mt.gov or just type “Montana legislature” into your Internet search engine. From this site you can find legislators, their contact information, bills they are carrying, bill information, historical information, hearing information, live streaming of meetings and much more. You can also watch the legislature live on cable channel 191 in Polson or local channel 97.
In addition to serving in House leadership as a Majority Whip, I will serve as Vice Chairman of the Taxation Committee and as a member of the Agriculture, Education and Rules committees.
I have submitted several bills for drafting. Of the bills I have submitted, three of them have to do with property taxes. My goal is to provide property owners with tax relief and give voters more control over the taxes levied on their property.
The first bill is LC1289. This bill would provide Montana residents the opportunity to apply for an exemption from the 95 mills that the state of Montana collects on their primary residence. This bill only applies to Montana residents and would reduce your property taxes on the first $350,000 in home value by approximately 20 percent in Lake County.
The next bill is LC1290. This bill would sunset existing voter approved levies every five years. Voters would then have the opportunity to vote on levies periodically instead of the current system that allows some levies to stay in place in perpetuity once approved by the voters.
The third bill is LC1961. This bill would require a more than 60 percent vote to approve local tax levies, bond issues and special districts. The 60 percent would be measured by the qualified electors voting in the election. Current law requires a simple majority. This bill is a voter referendum, providing Montana voters the opportunity to approve or reject this change.
If you would like to discuss these bill or others issues please call, mail me at Representative Greg Hertz, PO Box 1747, Polson, MT 59860; call (406) 253-9505 or email: greghertz11@gmail.com.
