I have owned my home since 1988. I have recently seen my real estate taxes skyrocket under Governor Greg Gianforte’s and the Republican legislative supermajority’s watch of our State Government. I thought conservatives stood for fiscal control and lowering taxes, not raising taxes. Governor Gianforte and the Republican legislative supermajority refused to follow the recommendation of the Montana Department of Revenue to cut the state property tax rate from 1.35% to 0.94% of assessed value. heir decision to ignore the experts was disastrous for individual homeowners. Instead of fixing the mess that has been caused by sky high inflation in our housing market, Governor Gianforte and the Republican legislative supermajority gave small Montana property owners a $270,000,000 tax increase while cutting taxes for largest corporate property owners by tens of millions of dollars. In the past, when rising home values have inflated our real estate taxes, the Legislature has taken care of the problem so that the extra burden would not be foisted on hard-working Montanans. The failure of Governor Gianforte’s and the Republican legislative supermajority to act as previous politicians have is simply unconscionable. I hope that, at least, all homeowners in Flathead County will remember when they vote in November who had the opportunity to fix this mess and, who failed to protect Montana homeowners. I know I will.
Alan J. Lerner
Kalispell