Page 29 - Flathead Beacon // 11.26.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM OPINION UNCOMMON GROUND Mike Jopek
Montana Money Matters
NOVEMBER 26, 2014 | 29
GOV. STEVE BULLOCK HAS proposed under $5 billion worth of public services for the next two years.ThebalancedbudgetorHouseBill 2 is the one bill required to pass the up- coming 64th Montana Legislature.
Bullock proposed a $300 million surplus for 2017. Likewise, in his budget Bullock invests over $300 million across the state in infrastructure projects. He recommended that Montana pay cash for one-third of these projects and bond the other portions.
Infrastructure projects include $45 million for eastern Montana commu- nities impacted by oil and gas develop- ment; $15 million for statewide broad- band; $3 million for water projects; $31 million for school facilities; under $40 million for a new Montana Histori- cal Society museum; and $7 million for a mental health facility in Fergus and Deer Lodge counties.
For the Flathead, Bullock’s proposed legislations have under $2 million in grants, loans, endowments and building projects. Plus there’s $44 million in new highway money. Flathead schools would receive more than $1 million in grants over the biennium and under $4 million in tuition tax cuts for those attending higher education.
Statewide Bullock seeks to freeze tuition in public higher education by spending $44 million on students over the next two years. Bullock proposes $3 million for keeping safe Montana’s most vulnerable children.
Most interesting is Bullock’s Healthy Montana Plan that saves nearly $60 mil- lion over two years and provides health- care to 70,000 people statewide, includ- ing nearly 10,000 veterans. The plan uses federal money to help local families who are sick and local hospitals that struggle with uncompensated healthcare.
Bullock has an optimistic vision and with good reason. This year alone, more than 12,000 private sector jobs have been created. Today, nearly 500,000 are employed providing tax revenue to fund the great state of Montana. Statewide, unemployment is low.
Bullock seeks $23 million to provide apprenticeship tax cuts for business- es and better train employees for the changing business climate.
The 64th Legislature has prelimi-
narily selected leadership, which is two-
thirds from Great Falls and eastward. + The provincial natures of Legislative
politics will undoubtable escalate in the
coming months.
“BULLOCK HAS AN OPTIMISTIC VISION AND WITH GOOD REASON. THIS YEAR ALONE, MORE THAN 12,000 PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED.”
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on op- posite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.
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Incoming Senate President Debby Barrett from Dillon said about Medic- aid expansion, “That is not acceptable, oh no.” Incoming House Speaker Austin Knudsen from Culbertson said that the town of “Sidney needs about $60 million now for sewer projects and upgrading water lines.”
Montana is doing well and some in eastern Montana have plenty of oil and gas money.
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In Fiscal Year 2014 the ending fund + balance per K-12 student for Richland
County was nearly $18,000 while Fallon
County was over $65,000. Comparative-
ly, Flathead County was nearly $4,000. In Fiscal 2013, Richland County re- ceived over $45 million in oil and gas dis- tributions and Fallon County received nearly $17 million. Flathead County re-
ceived zero.
In the ensuing budget battle is the
fact that the Legislative Fiscal Division
and the Governor’s Office of Budget and
Program Planning are 95 percent in
agreement with general fund tax reve-
nue projections for 2016. =
Montana is a big state and Bullock acknowledged a clear vision for all peo- ple. This Legislature is likely to be run by eastern Montanans who will seek to invest in oil and gas counties.
Flathead homeowner and small busi- ness owners paid extra in the last prop- erty tax reappraisal. That session was dominated by eastern Montana legisla- tors who sought property tax rates more compatible with Billings’ mill levy cap. In the 2015 reappraisal, western Mon- tana homeowners must be made whole when it comes to money matters.
Montana is one state with the ma- jority in the Legislature appropriating funds. Hopefully the 64th Legislature is looking for solutions. Policy like ear- ly childhood education, using federal healthcare money to pay for the uncom- pensated care of local hospitals, and pumping some extra taxpayer money into booming oil and gas counties could help a lot of people.
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