Legislative Notes
Montana’s Homestead Exemption is working — don’t let ‘Freedom’ Caucus raise your taxes
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Representative George Nikolakakos, (R–Great Falls)
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Over the past week, residents across Cascade County have been receiving their property tax bills. Thanks to the Homestead Exemption passed last legislative session, the news is good. Nearly 89% of Montana homeowners — about 375,000 households — are seeing reduced or flat property taxes. Here in Great Falls, the relief is, in many cases, significant.
I have reviewed dozens of property tax bills in the eastern Great Falls district I represent and discussed them with constituents. On average, homeowners are seeing their property tax bills decrease by roughly 15–30% compared to last year — above and beyond the one-time $400 rebates recently distributed.
One of my constituents lives in a home typical of the district — a good case study. Her home’s market value increased to $322,700, and last year her property tax bill was $2,855.34. Under the new Homestead Exemption, her bill fell to $2,195.82 — an impressive 25% decrease. Without legislative action, she would have faced a tax increase instead.
This result mirrors dozens of other real-world examples and aligns with projections from the Department of Revenue. The Homestead Exemption is functioning exactly as intended, delivering meaningful relief to Montana homeowners.
Getting this tax relief passed was no easy task. As a member of the House Taxation Committee, I witnessed firsthand how powerful special interests and lobbyists worked to derail it at every turn. The radical Montana “Freedom” Caucus stood with them throughout and continues to spread misinformation. Fortunately, real tax bills arriving in mailboxes now expose their smoke-and-mirrors campaign for what it is.
The Homestead Exemption puts Montana taxpayers first. It prioritizes primary residences — the homes where we raise our families and retire — and restores fairness after years in which large, out-of-state, and centrally assessed properties enjoyed tax cuts at our expense.
The Freedom Caucus and the special interests they represent have dismissed the Homestead Exemption as a “shift.” In truth, it corrects the long-term shift that unfairly burdened Montana homeowners while benefiting powerful outsiders.
Let’s be clear: Repealing the Homestead Exemption, as the Freedom Caucus proposes, would raise property taxes on typical Montana homeowners by roughly 15–30% in most cases. Next legislative session, traditional Montana Republicans and solutions-driven legislators will do everything in our power to prevent that tax hike and build on the progress we’ve made for hardworking Montana taxpayers.
