Property tax relief in the works
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As the third week of the legislative session draws to a close, we’ve seen a couple of heated debates and emotional hearings. But for the most part, this session has been much more focused on results than partisan strife. In the last session, there was a series of “gotcha” moments designed to make one party or the other look bad. This year, we’re committed to more work and less politics.
One of the most important areas is in our approach to Montana’s economy. As a legislature, we understand that our state is only as strong as our economy, and we’re beginning to see the broad outlines of the major changes being made.
The agenda is going to focus on tax relief, creating jobs in the natural resource industries and improving student achievement.
There have been some proposals floating around about a one-time rebate for some property tax payers. That’s a great start, but it leaves me with one crucial question. What about renters? Not everyone in Montana is a homeowner. Not all of us pay property taxes. But every Montanan does deserve tax relief.
That’s why some of us in the legislature are bringing forward some improvements to that plan. We’re going to create permanent property tax relief that will have a lasting impact on our state. We’re also going to bring forward a bill that gives everyone in Montana some relief on their income taxes.
After Washington and their “fiscal cliff” negotiations raised all of our taxes, the least we can do here in Montana is try to compensate for that by lowering our own tax burden.
We’re also going to bring forward bills to reform the business equipment tax. When a Montana business buys a new machine, or other piece of equipment, they’ll probably have to hire someone to run it. Business equipment creates jobs; it’s that simple. That’s why we need to keep taxes on it low and allow our businesses to grow. Thankfully there is broad agreement in the legislature that we can work together and reform the business equipment tax this session.
This is what we mean about “more work and less politics.” It’s not about which side of the aisle came up with the idea or who gets the credit. Both the governor and the legislature care about property tax relief. Both sides care about natural resource development and building a better future for our kids. What we’re doing is finding issues where we can agree, and working to deliver results for Montana.
I have had several people from Lake County visiting the capitol this week, including some of our local 4-H students. I had the opportunity to visit with these great Lake County students about past and future 4-H projects. If you or your children would like to get involved with 4-H, check with your local school and they can get you in touch with the 4-H program.
If you have any input about specific bills, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email at greghertz11@gmail.com or call or text me at (406) 253-9505. You can also leave messages for individual legislators or committees by calling (406) 444-4800. For more information on Montana’s 63rd legislative session, visit the legislature’s website at www.leg.mt.gov.
