Tax Increment Financing Reform Would Deliver Property Tax Relief to Montanans

Property tax relief is a top priority for Senate Republicans this legislative session. I’m sponsoring one such bill, SB 2, which reforms how tax increment financing (TIF) districts sunset – if they ever do – in order to lower property taxes for all local taxpayers. Essentially, the bill rewards taxpayers who contribute to economic development over the span of a TIF project.

TIFs are subsidized by taxpayers outside the TIF district over the decades-long life of a project, which increases residents’ taxes and takes money away from schools and other services. I support TIFs, but they need to be t...