Happy New Year’s Eve, Beacon readers. A heads up: tomorrow, we’re going to be out of office to ring in 2026. Before the day off, where some of you will be recovering from choices made tonight — or, if you’re like me, recovering from the emotional turmoil of the “Stranger Things” finale — I’m Mariah Thomas, here to bring you your Daily Roundup.
This morning, a story I’ve been wrapping my mind around for more than a month finally published. It’s linked both here, and at the bottom of this newsletter, for those of you who have yet to read it. The story contained an inside look at some of the politicking that took place on the Republican side of the aisle regarding property taxes last spring, and some of the continuing conversation now that a pair of tax reform bills that passed the legislature have been partly implemented.
As I’ve been reporting on both stories, the divide in the Republican Party over the legislation keeps cropping up as a major point.
Those who supported the legislation said they saw it as a mandate to pass policy that helped Montanans. Those who didn’t support the property tax legislation that passed have driven a different narrative: that a tax shift — which is what the legislation did — doesn’t provide tax relief across the board and has unintended consequences on some taxpayers.
Providing a uniform answer to property tax relief poses a challenge. As I’ve untangled the complicated web of the continuing property tax debate, many legislators and advocates have explained to me that there are only so many strings to tug on to change property taxes.
Montana brings in income taxes and property taxes, without a third mechanism bringing in revenue. The state cut income taxes this year through House Bill 337, which reduced the state’s top-bracket tax rate. And it also passed the pair of property tax bills, which shifted the property tax burden. But for one person to feel relief on property taxes — unless another mechanism is added to bring in additional revenue — another entity must, necessarily, feel a squeeze, and take on more of the tax burden.
The bills the legislature passed, advocates for them said, aimed to right-size the unwieldy tax burden residential property owners have taken on in recent years. Opponents say there should be consideration of solutions that don’t add more taxes to anyone’s plates.
Even with all the disagreement legislators have had, the one area of consensus they’ve all expressed: the conversation about property taxes isn’t finished.
Hearing all of that, the question that’s remained for me throughout this reporting has consistently been: what other mechanisms or ideas could be on the table in the future?
Back in June, when I reported on the sentiments of Flathead-area folks on a second-home tax set to take full effect in the new year, state Sen. Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, (pictured above) said he was an advocate of a statewide sales tax. That conversation has gained more ground as the property tax bills have fallen into place, particularly among the business community as some commercial properties saw higher tax bills under the new tax code.
The Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO Todd O’Hair argued that conversation should begin in more earnest at a Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) event in Kalispell over the summer. And the BBER is set to tour the state from January-March for its annual economic outlook seminar (it’ll stop in Kalispell Feb. 10). The topic? Whether Montana should reconsider its longstanding opposition to a sales tax. O’Hair argued the state has seen an increase in tourism in recent years, alongside key closures in industry — and perhaps its tax structure should reflect that. State legislators, like Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, (pictured below) have pointed out that tourists have benefited from Montana’s resources while property taxpayers foot the bill for the services they’re using, like local roads and emergency services. Still, Glimm worries about introducing a new tax into the mix without eliminating another form of tax.
Other legislators I spoke with had a mixed bag of thoughts on whether a sales tax should be on the table. Many pointed to Montanans’ historic opposition to the idea, which has cut across political ideologies with 70% of the state voting down sales tax proposals that came up in 1971 and by 74% of voters in 1993. The one sales tax proposal that did pass muster with voters: a pre-emptive constitutional amendment in 1994 that capped any potential sales tax at 4%. There are worries that, given that history, a sales tax proposal wouldn’t be able to gain political traction.
Some heralded other proposals, including one that cropped up in the 2025 session in Senate Bill 90 and would’ve redirected revenue from lodging taxes and rental car taxes to primary residence property tax rebates. That proposal got heat from stakeholders for its initial proposals to cut tourism-related programs, though.
In short, while the conversation on property taxes might not be complete, the future remains uncertain. And the impacts of that uncertainty, Glimm pointed out, will continue to fall on Montanans.
“Home prices have skyrocketed in the past in the last 10 to 15 years in the Flathead, and property taxes have done the same thing,” Glimm said. “In the last 15 years, the increase in property taxes is astronomical. And how do you plan for that when you’re in retirement and on a fixed income?”
I’ll be continuing to ask legislators about how these “continuing conversations” might shape up ahead of the next session in 2027. But for now, I think that’s enough about property taxes this New Year’s Eve.
About to get on my way to go count down the minutes until that “Stranger Things” finale episode drops and I find out whether Steve Harrington makes it to the end. If he doesn’t, there will be one devastated reporter in the newsroom to start the new year.
Anyway … If you’re in need of last-minute plans for tonight, make sure you check out the list of New Year’s Eve options around the valley that Lauren Frick put together in her newsletter on Friday. Personally, I’m really intrigued by the idea of the fish drop. Just sayin’.
Republican Property Tax Split Presses on, Months After the Party Divided Votes on Tax Reform at the Legislative Session
Senate President Matt Regier claims a $126.2 million supplemental for schools was indicative of a “sloppy” legislative process — a suggestion that has drawn pushback from other legislators and education advocates
Glacier National Park Surpasses 3.1M Visitors Through November
New year-to-date data shows 3,115,195 people visited the park during the first 11 months of 2025, which signals a 2.4% drop in visitation compared to the same period last year
Flathead County Man Charged with Attempted Deliberate Homicide in Christmas Eve Road Rage Shooting
Mitchell Alexander Kleinman is charged with a felony count of attempted deliberate homicide and a second count of criminal endangerment after allegedly shooting another driver in the head and firing multiple rounds at his vehicle with an 8-year-old child in the backseat
Meet Nugget! He’s a sweet, 2-year-old Terrier/Pit Bull mix who loves to play. He’d make a happy and affectionate adventure buddy for anyone in need.
To find out more about Nugget and other pet adoption opportunities at the Humane Society of Northwest Montana go to: www.humanesocietypets.com. To donate to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, visit the organization’s donation page here.
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