Property Taxes: Critical Investment in Montana Schools

Nov 06, 2015

By MBPC Staff

This week was a big week for ensuring Montana kids and families have access to a quality K-12 education. As many of you know, last week the county treasurers across the state sent out property tax assessments. This notice explains how much each property owner will be paying in the upcoming year, factoring in the property’s appraised value and the number of mills the property is subject to. This is a good opportunity to revisit our Policy Basics piece on property taxes and the role these taxes play in providing critical local services in our communities, like schools, public safety, and infrastructure. Unlike other tax revenue streams, the vast majority – 81 percent – of property tax revenue is directed toward local governments and schools. With these funds, city and county governments provide essential services, like police and fire, and fund critical infrastructure projects. Local school districts receive property tax dollars that go towards providing quality public education for our communities’ children. The remaining 19 percent goes to the state, for additional support to K-12 schools, as well as support for Montana’s universities and colleges. Additionally, Montana voters across the state had a number of proposals to provide additional property taxes to ensure our local schools can provide quality education for Montana’s children. Voters in the communities of Missoula, Frenchtown, Bozeman, and Belgrade endorsed school bonds or levies to help renovate aging facilities, representing about $183 million investment in Montana’s children. Our public schools play a critical role in our communities across the state, providing our children with the strong start they need. Congratulations to those districts that saw the support they needed to help improve the lives of children.