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Lawmakers hear sweeping property‑tax overhaul aimed at rebalancing class‑4 burden
Summary
Representative Thane’s House Bill 155 would create tiered property‑tax rates for class‑4 residential properties and exemptions (first $50,000 for residences; $200,000 for commercial), with sponsors saying it rebalances a post‑2023 shift and opponents warning of county‑level tax shifts and unintended increases on ag and commercial taxpayers.
Representative Mark Thane opened House Bill 155 by calling Montana’s property‑tax situation a crisis and proposing a two‑part approach: a homestead/‘commstead’ exemption (first $50,000 residential; $200,000 commercial) and a graduated tax‑rate schedule for class‑4 residential property. Thane framed the bill as a rebalance after the 2023 reappraisal shifted a larger share of the property‑tax burden onto class‑4 properties.
Thane walked committee members through examples. In one, a $750,000 assessed single‑family home at current law would produce a taxable value equivalent to $10,125 and, at 500 mills, a…
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