County staff brief commissioners on three state bills affecting property tax timing, rail funding and speed limits

County staff provided commissioners a briefing on several state bills that could affect county revenues and transportation funding.

Staff reported that Senate Bill 337 would allow developers during development to pay up to five years of property taxes on undeveloped land at a flat, bare-land rate; staff said Missoula County opposes the bill on the grounds that it could delay structures coming onto the tax rolls in the normal way. Staff explained the policy rationale presented by bill proponents: it would simplify developer accounting by allowing lots to be treated as bare land until completed or sold. Staff noted uncertainty about when DOR would change assessments in practice and observed that DOR assessment lags already create delays in tax notices.

Staff also described a house bill carried by Representative Denise Baum (Billings) to create a "Big Sky Rail Fund" or account that would redirect roughly 25% of existing rental-car tax receipts (estimated in the meeting at about $2,500,000) to the state rail authority for nonfederal match and administration. The county discussed drafting a message of support as a member county of the rail authority; staff noted the bill is a revenue bill and faces upcoming deadlines for committee action.

Finally, staff noted Senate Bill 428, a speed-limit bill carried by Senator Currie, has transmitted to the House and is scheduled for a hearing on April 24; staff said the bill passed the Senate with relatively little recorded debate and that the county may provide staff testimony at the House hearing.

No formal county positions or votes on these bills were recorded in the transcript at this meeting; staff asked commissioners whether they wanted staff to draft a support message for the rail authority bill and to make staff available for testimony on the speed-limit bill.