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Yellowstone County approves 80% tax abatement for Rocky Vista University veterinary school
Summary
The Yellowstone County commissioners approved Resolution 25-56, granting an 80% tax benefit to Rocky Vista University for a new College of Veterinary Medicine, citing a $38 million investment and projected local economic impacts and jobs.
The Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners on April 15 approved Resolution 25-56, granting an 80% tax benefit to Rocky Vista University LLC for construction of a College of Veterinary Medicine on the Rocky Vista campus.
Diane, a Big Sky Economic Development staff member, told commissioners the application fits within Montana Code Annotated 15-24-1501 and applies to remodeling, reconstruction or expansion of building structures. She said the application covers a $38,000,000 investment to build a 60,000-square-foot veterinary education building at 4130 Rocky Vista Way.
Dr. Bob Murtaugh, dean of the Rocky Vista University College of Veterinary Medicine, said the school will be the first veterinary college in Montana and the Mountain West. "We're gonna train our students on all species," Murtaugh said, and he added the program aims to address veterinarian shortages in rural Montana. He said classes would start in 2026 with about 125 students per class and the first graduates in 2029.
David Forstein, president and CEO of Rocky Vista University, said the project supplements the university's medical college and will expand community services, including increased capacity for spay-and-neuter work in partnership with Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. "Our plan is that we're gonna be able to increase that capacity by two or three times over what they're currently doing," Forstein said.
Big Sky Economic Development executive director Steve Arvaskow praised the local economic effects and local contracting tied to the project. Diane presented an economic-impact estimate produced with JobsEQ software showing a combined direct, indirect and induced impact of about $115,300,000 from construction and startup and a projected direct annual impact of $9,200,000 once the school is operating. The university told commissioners it expects the campus to create and retain about 170 full-time and 52 part-time positions.
Commissioners moved and seconded approval of the resolution during the public hearing; the chairman called for the voice vote and said "aye," and the motion carried. The board's recorded action was "approved"; commissioners did not record individual yea or nay votes in the transcript.
No public opposition was offered during the hearing, and Rocky Vista representatives said a groundbreaking event is planned for later in May.
Why it matters: County officials cited the project's potential to bring professional training and new jobs to the region, and the tax abatement is structured under MCA 15-24-1501 to reduce taxes on the new taxable value for up to five years as the investment phases in.
