Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Times are tough for a lot of Montana families right now. Interest rates are high, housing is expensive, and grocery bills aren’t getting any smaller. And when life feels tight, it’s easy to buy what the pessimists are selling—especially on social media—and before long that “old man” talk seeps in: “Kids these days.” “Nothing works anymore.” “We’re headed downhill.” We start pining for a past that never really was. But my gray hairs—plus a few wins and hard lessons—have taught me this: we’re limited less by circumstances than by this very negati...
As we move through the Christmas season, I hope you’re finding time for what matters most—family, friends, and fellowship. I spent the week before Christmas in Helena in long days of budget meetings—going line by line through Montana’s year-end finances to prepare for the new year. That’s how Montanans do things: you make sure you’re ready before the weather turns. This week the Legislative Finance Committee reviewed the FY 2026 financial report. Bottom line: the “record surplus” era is cooling off. Montana’s budget picture is tightening as...
Dear Editor, Montana earned its "Treasure State" name from what was under our work boots and in our fields-copper, coal, oil, gas, timber, wheat, barley, and other resources that built jobs, communities, and our tax base. For generations, mines, mills, farms, and raw materials were the backbone of our economy. Over the last few decades, more of our "treasure" has shifted above ground. The value of our land, scenery, small towns, and the draw for retirees and tourists now drives a bigger share...
Every Montanan knows the value of good maintenance: you fix your roof before it leaks, change the oil in your truck to keep the engine running smooth, and mend your fences so your livestock stays put. These are solid conservative principles—taking care of what you’ve got to avoid big, expensive messes down the line. The same common sense applies to our public infrastructure. Putting off repairs can lead to total breakdowns, sky-high costs, and real dangers to folks’ lives and livelihoods. That’s why the Montana Growth and Opportunity (GO) Tr...
Montana collects $2.1 billion in property tax, with allocations as follows: 56% to schools, 28% to counties, 11% to cities/towns, and 5% to special districts. The 6 statewide university mills stay at the state, while the 95 statewide school mills are redistributed to local community schools, accounting for 35-40% of the $1.1 billion annual state school funding distribution. According to the latest Department of Revenue (DOR) appraisal, Montana properties have a total market value of $259 billion, spread across 18 tax and rate classes....
Montana is facing a growing housing crisis, driven by an influx of out-of-state home buyers and telecommuters. This is pushing up prices, making it difficult for Montanans to find affordable housing, and increasing residential property taxes. A solution I propose for consideration is to change the way property taxes are calculated for vacation homes and short-term rentals. Currently, all residential properties are taxed at the same rate, regardless of whether they are owner-occupied, rented out long-term, rented out short-term, or vacation...
