NEW: Democratic Caucus Members Call for Special Session to Address GOP’s Property Tax Hike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 6th, 2023

CONTACT
hadley@montanademocrats.org

Democrats Propose Solution to GOP Failure of Leadership

Helena, MT – Members of the Democratic Senate Caucus called on Governor Greg Gianforte to convene a one-day Special Session to adopt revenue-neutral state property tax rates in order to prevent ongoing and unaddressed tax increases from harming Montana homeowners, in a letter sent to the Governor’s office today.

The Republican-controlled Legislature and the Governor were warned by the Department of Revenue as early as November 2022 that the estimated rise in market value would impose a devastating property tax hike on Montana homeowners and the Department provided the legislators with an easy solution: pass an ongoing revenue neutral tax rate for residential and commercial property in the 2023 legislative session starting in January. 

The Governor and the Republican-controlled Legislature failed to adopt the proposal – and now Montanans are being squeezed. Because the Republicans failed to act while Montana taxable property values climbed nearly 43%, the state share of property taxes has jumped a total of $81 million a year. 

In response to the Republicans’ failure of leadership, Democratic Senators called on the Governor to bring the Legislature back for a one-day special session for the sole purpose of passing a critical and overdue state property tax cut for Montanans. 

“The Gianforte Property Tax Hike has the potential to be devastating to Montana families, workers, and retirees,” said Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “But it doesn’t have to be – Democrats are proposing a simple solution to ease the pain and we’re asking the Republican supermajority to join us and help us deliver meaningful relief for hardworking Montana taxpayers.” 

See the full letter HERE. 

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