Daniels County officials flag centrally assessed railroad property notice that could cut tax base by millions

County staff told the Daniels County Commission on July 20 that they had received a preliminary notice from the state assessing authority proposing a reduction of centrally assessed market value tied to railroad property. "It is a change of $13,202,630 is what they're wanting to reduce their tax value by," a staff member reported to the board.

Commissioners discussed the implications of the notice and referenced a neighboring county’s experience, where assessment staff determined that visible rails required continued inclusion in taxable value calculations. One commissioner urged contacting the Helena assessors and the company named in the notice to get a clearer picture of the change and its geographic scope. "I would encourage the commissioners to talk to Doug and not just the local VOR to get the clear picture because this is centrally assessed," the staff member said.

The board did not take immediate formal action but agreed to follow up. Commissioners noted the potential scale of the change and questioned whether the reduction would apply countywide or as part of a more limited reassessment. Staff flagged that the issue could affect multiple taxing districts and recommended outreach to state assessors and the railroad for clarification before any definitive fiscal projections were drawn.

Next steps identified by the commission included contacting the person named in the notice, confirming whether the reduction was local or statewide, and monitoring any follow-up from the state office.