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County staff updates commissioners on property-tax hearings and proposed impact-fee changes; concerns about excluding county services
Summary
County staff reported on recent legislative activity: competing proposals on homestead exemptions drew robust hearings and a bill proposed by a senator would narrow allowable impact-fee categories, potentially excluding county services such as 9-1-1 and Office of Emergency Management unless amended.
County staff briefed Missoula County commissioners on legislative activity, focusing on property-tax proposals and a pending bill that would narrow the types of projects eligible for local impact fees.
Staff said both Democratic and Republican proposals to change the homestead exemption were recently heard and drew significant testimony. The county presentation noted broad concern that narrowing the tax base or changing exemptions could shift property-tax burden to agricultural lands in smaller counties where agriculture is the primary nonresidential property class; staff cited Daniels County as an example used in hearings.
Separately, staff described a bill introduced by a senator to limit the categories local governments may charge with impact fees. The presenter said the bill would remove administrative or other locally created fee categories and would constrain impact fees to a narrower set of infrastructure categories. County staff said that, as drafted, the bill’s enumerated categories appear aimed at municipalities and could unintentionally exclude county services such as 9-1-1, the sheriff’s office and the Office of Emergency Management. Staff said Missoula County added fees for 9-1-1 and Office of Emergency Management as part of its existing impact-fee framework and that the bill could require those fees to be removed when the county’s next five-year review occurs unless the bill is amended.
County staff said the county’s legislative lobbyist, Jen Hensley, was asked to contact the bill sponsor about amending the language to include county-level public-safety services; staff said they would oppose the bill if it remained as drafted because it would exclude many services counties provide.
Staff also discussed that the Transportation Alternatives and Medicaid topics are getting attention at the legislature this week and flagged that the county will continue to monitor property-tax and impact-fee bills as they move through committee. A commissioner asked about a separate development item: staff confirmed the Missoula Development Authority’s recommendation on a public water-development proposal was unanimous and that the county would consider that recommendation at an upcoming meeting (staff referenced Feb. 6 or 7 for the commission agenda).
During the update a participant mentioned reports of a federal pause on spending from the bipartisan infrastructure law; staff said they would investigate and report back but did not confirm an impact to county projects at the time of the briefing.
No legislative actions or formal county positions were recorded as taken during the meeting; the item was presented as an informational update and staff reported planned follow-up with the bill sponsor and lobbyist.
