Montana Department of Revenue outlines session priorities, highlights land-classification bill and property-tax outreach

Bridal Beatty, director of the Montana Department of Revenue, told the Senate Taxation Committee on the organizational day that the department will focus this session on a land-classification bill developed by a multi-stakeholder working group, implementation details for portions of the governor's tax package, and continued citizen outreach and service.

Why it matters: the Department of Revenue administers Montana's tax programs and property valuations; changes to land classification and property-tax implementation affect valuations, revenue distribution, and the workload of local and state staff across the state.

Beatty emphasized the department's role as an executive agency that implements the legislature's will and stressed factual, nonpartisan testimony from staff. "My view of the role of the executive branch is to execute the will of the legislature," Beatty said. He told the committee that when department staff testify, "it is correct information, it is clear, And it is not politically spun." He added, "Everything will be honest. It will be above board."

On the land-classification work, Beatty said the department chaired a land classification working group after bills from the prior session…