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Senate passes bill requiring local governments to show tax impact on $100,000 home in preliminary budgets
Summary
House Bill 37 was passed by the Senate on second reading (46-4); the bill requires local governments to include estimated property taxes on a $100,000 home for prior and current budget years in preliminary budgets to help taxpayers see likely tax impacts.
The Montana Senate concurred with House Bill 37 by a recorded vote of 46-4 on second reading, approving a bill that requires local governments to publish estimated property taxes on a $100,000 home for the prior year and the current preliminary budget year when adopting preliminary budgets.
Senator Hertz, sponsor on the floor, said the change is intended to give taxpayers an accessible estimate of how a preliminary budget would change property taxes and to encourage public participation in local budget hearings. "Basically, what this bill requires is when a local government adopts a preliminary annual operating budget, it must include property taxes levied on a hundred thousand dollar home for the prior year... and how much those taxes... would be for the new current year budget," Hertz said.
There were no floor amendments recorded and the bill passed on second reading. Supporters framed the measure as increasing transparency to spur public engagement before tax bills are issued. The Senate concurrence advances the bill to the next steps in the legislative process.
