Senate committee hears hours of testimony on SB260 allowing petitions to move Big Sky properties out of Ennis school and hospital districts

Helena — Senators heard more than four hours of testimony on Senate Bill 260 on Wednesday, as residents of Big Sky, Ennis and Madison County gave sharply divided evidence about a proposal that would let property owners in a school or hospital service district petition to transfer territory if they cannot practically access the district’s services.

Sen. Greg Hertz, R‑District 7, the bill sponsor, told the Senate Taxation Committee that “Senate bill 260 provides a process for property owners in a service district, either in a school district or a hospital district, to petition to transfer to another service district if the service is offered by the district that they're in is geographically inaccessible to the property owners. What this bill does not allow is for a reduction of taxes. So if you're gonna move from 1 district to another, your taxes are gonna be the same.”

Supporters, who primarily represented Big Sky entities and residents, said the measure would correct legacy boundaries that send large property‑tax dollars out of their community while delivering few local services. Kevin Germain, chair of the Big Sky Resort Area District, told senators: “This bill merely provides a process for our community to transition out of districts that we no longer receive benefits from or never have.” Economist Jackie Haines said Big Sky’s year‑round population grew from about 2,400 in 2010 to about 3,800 today and that the area now accounts for a disproportionate share of…