The Flathead deserves more active leaders in the next Montana Legislature who are willing to help build the local business and recreational climate of the valley.
In 2009 former Rep. Dee Brown, R-Columbia Falls, proposed a pair of bills in the Legislature with potential consequences for Whitefish residents.
Regarding House Bill 329, a state fiscal analyst wrote, “It appears that upon passage of the bill, the city of Whitefish would exceed the population maximum, and its authority to impose a resort tax would be rescinded on December 31, 2010.”
Brown’s bill was tabled. Republicans and Democrats worked together in 1996 to allow locals a vote on the Whitefish resort tax.
Tourist taxes create jobs by rebuilding our roads and they dramatically lower homeowner property taxes. They may keep our local parks open, but in Helena tax hearings are more ideological than solutions based.
In Whitefish, 65 percent of the tourist tax is used for street projects like the rebuild of the new pedestrian friendly and business-smart downtown. Tourism also helps rebuild roads like Baker or Columbia Avenue.
Twenty-one million dollars have been returned to the community in street construction, property tax relief and parks.
An impressive 25 percent of that return is property tax relief for homeowners and small business owners. Five percent is used for parks like the Armory, Soroptimist Park, Grouse Mountain Park, or Depot Park. Five percent remains with the local businesses for administration.
State parks don’t receive funding from the state general fund or hunting licenses. They remain open from the voluntarily usage fees collected during automobile registration.
In 1999, Brown introduced House Bill 51. According to fiscal analysts, it cut $3 million annually from the operational budgets of state parks in places like Whitefish Lake and Les Mason. Brown’s bill was tabled.
Senate Bill 13 by John Brenden, R-Scobey, cosponsored by Jon Sonju, R-Kalispell, proposed similar cuts to state parks budgets in the 2011 Legislature. Their bill failed.
The 2011 Legislature sought severe cuts to Montana’s 50-plus state parks. At the end of the session, voluntary state park user fees were increased $2 per car registration.
The only Flathead legislator voting for new state park funding was retiring Sen. Ryan Zinke, R-Whitefish. That’s not that surprising as Zinke has helped conserve the public lands surrounding Whitefish.
Zinke was also co-endorsed by the Montana Conservation Voters in the Whitefish and Columbia Falls senate race. This is the same senate seat that Brown now seeks.
The next Legislature should listen to local recreational communities like Whitefish and Columbia Falls. It is people, after all, who recreate outdoors.
Northwest Montana has bountiful state parks. From Les Mason State Park to Wayfarers State Park to Lone Pine State Park, locals enjoy the great outdoors. Lakes and rivers like Beaver, Blanchard, Flathead, Sampson, Spoon or Whitefish all have current public water access.
Parks, lakes and the outdoors reflect who we are as Montanans and why we live in recreational communities like the Flathead. Locals clearly desire more park access onto waterways and public lands.
Flathead voters should send well-known and trustworthy leaders to Helena to balance the current all-GOP delegation of legislators.
Good government listens to local concerns. Good government compromises and finds solutions. It trusts real people.
The $21 million of tourist taxes over the years have provided a lot of honest work on Whitefish roads, streets and parks. But that 25 percent returned to property owners, represents millions of dollars of much needed tax relief for small businesses and homeowners.
Parks feed business vitality back into a hungry tourism and recreational economy. Montana’s 75-year-old state parks earned the Flathead’s support.
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.