Montana
Montana Property Tax Task Force delivers recommendations to Gianforte • Daily Montanan
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told the Property Tax Task Force he convened in January they had performed “a job well done,” praising pieces of the finalized 12-part proposal the task force submitted on Thursday which he said would be “innovative tools” the legislature can start with next session to try to cut down the increased tax burden for homeowners.
The 23-member task force has spent the past seven months discussing and crafting options for bills to shift property tax increases back away from single-home families following the legislature’s failure in 2023 to reduce the residential tax rate from 1.35% to 0.94%, as was recommended by the Department of Revenue in order to keep residential tax income neutral after appraisals largely rose statewide.
“Montanans are really counting on us. This report that you completed will help inform and guide all of us as we head into this next legislative session … to get the job done,” Gianforte told the task force members. “I look forward to working with all of the legislators to implement many of these ideas the task force has recommended, working together.”
While the task force’s recommendations will carry weight in the Capitol come next January’s session should Gianforte win re-election and Republicans keep hold of both chambers, they will compete with proposals already outlined by legislative Democrats, and Gianforte’s Democratic opponent also unveiled an initial property tax strategy of his own Thursday in the event he wins the governor’s race.
A poll of Montanans released Thursday by Middle Fork Strategies found property taxes, the cost of living and housing were among the biggest issues they wanted the governor and legislature to focus on next year and of greatest concern to them.
The Daily Montanan detailed the full package of task force proposals earlier this month based on the task force’s final report, and the report released Thursday contains few changes.
The centerpiece of proposed legislation is a homestead, “agstead,” and “comstead” exemption that the task force says would cut taxes by at least 15% for about 345,000 homeowners and those who own long-term rentals, as well as for about 32,000 business owners. “Agstead” refers to agricultural land and “comstead” to commercial property.
The homestead exemptions would cut the tax rate for primary residences and long-term rentals worth up to a little more than $1 million to 1.1% instead of the current 1.35%, while homes worth more than that, as well as short-term rentals and second or subsequent homes would see a tax rate of 1.9%.
Commercial properties up to six times the median value, about $2 million, would get a 1.5% tax rate under the proposals, while properties worth more than that would pay 2.1%, but even properties worth $10 million would see a minimal estimated tax increase.
“The Bill Gates, the Tom Bradys, the Justin Timberlakes, there’s a list of those that are here. We’re glad they’re here, but they don’t participate in the provision of income tax, but they benefit from those services,” Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, said in an interview. “So, this model at least brings them to the table to help them pay.”
The homestead exemption in particular curried Gianforte’s favor.
“For my part, I firmly believe that we should move ahead with a homestead exemption to give a preference to Montana residents on a primary home. That’ll provide good, long-term relief,” Gianforte said. “It will also ensure that out-of-staters that don’t live here, don’t pay income taxes here, and own second homes here pay their fair share – not only for our schools, but law enforcement, roads and bridges, emergency response – and I’m glad that the task force included that as one of the recommendations.”
He added that the additional proposals from the task force’s other two subcommittees, focused on education and local government, had laid out “other tools that we have in our box.”
Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, outlined the education subcommittee’s proposal to move school district-based levies to a countywide levy, which he said would narrow the range of mills levied across the state’s districts and reduce levied mills in 7-of-10 districts in Montana.
Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, discussed the local government subcommittee’s proposal to change mill levy ballot language to use dollar amounts instead of mills, so the amount of money raised by levies does not change as property values increase.
“This will basically allow them to focus on how much money they need for a project; it will allow them to continue to grow over inflation, but it won’t allow for a big windfall. And it will keep property taxes more stable for voters and taxpayers across the state,” Hertz said.
He said in an interview after the meeting that he believes the task force’s homestead exemption is a better version of the one proposed by Democrats, that he believes some proposals to sunset mill levies and put a higher approval threshold in place on voted levies will still allow taxpayers to “make the right choices,” and that there will be plenty of back-and-forth between competing interests when the bills come to the floor early next year.
“Unfortunately, there’s always a lot more lobbyists up here in Helena when the session’s going on than there are local taxpayers. So, we always get down to what’s the best decision. But I would really encourage local taxpayers to get involved in the legislative session,” Hertz said.
Gianforte said the report was full of “innovative ideas” and that he was “sure we will implement them.” He praised the task force and also mentioned that the second round of homeowner rebates is now available for people to apply.
“I’m sure this work of the task force has delivered concrete and specific strategies to address rising property taxes; I want to thank everybody for the work,” Gianforte said. “This is really a job well done. Each member has demonstrated they are committed to arresting the growth of property taxes, and particularly for Montanans and their primary residence.”
Busse wants to cut residential rate from 1.35% to 0.94%
Gianforte’s Democratic opponent in November, Ryan Busse, unveiled what he called an initial step for his plan to tackle property tax increases and housing affordability issues about two hours later.
That initial plan is simply to lower the residential tax assessment rate to 0.94% across the board, as was recommended by the Department of Revenue in late 2022, which lawmakers led by a Republican supermajority then failed to do.
“The previous four governors of Montana have faced similar situations and have reacted, I think, very responsibly and have undertaken the basic tenets of our tax plan, which is reduce the tax rate so that homeowners are not slammed with increased tax rates or tax bills, and that large industry is not given, in effect, a big tax break,” Busse said in a digital news conference alongside running mate Raph Graybill and former Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
Schweitzer said he believed the Gianforte administration and Republican legislature did not lower the tax rate on purpose so it could collect another $200+ million while providing tax breaks to large corporations with the budget surplus. And while he said there were some “decent ideas” coming out of the task force, lowering the tax rate was the easiest and quickest fix that could have been accomplished without ever convening one.
Asked what else he and Graybill were working on to address Montana’s housing affordability crisis, the two said they were working on proposals but did not have a specific list ready because they wanted to focus on the task force’s announcement.
“So, I think we are open in the long term to conversations about fourth-home billionaires like Gianforte paying their fair share. I think we’re open to conversations about homestead exemption and other ways to make the tax burden more fair on people who live in Montana and call it home,” Graybill said. “But the first thing we have to do is fix that initial decision that his new plan still doesn’t do.”
Legislative Democrats also proposed in July a $230 million package of property tax proposals that include a homestead-comstead exemption that would apply to lower and middle-valued homes and businesses; a tiered tax rate that would favor lower-valued properties; and a housing fairness tax credit that could extend to renters, which they say would put more of the tax burden onto wealthier homeowners and large businesses and provide more relief for average Montanans in the long term.
“Our plan lowers costs for Montana’s workers, families, and retirees so that they have the freedom to stay in their own homes,” Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, of Belgrade, and Rep. Jonathan Karlen, of Missoula, said in a statement Thursday. “Someone living in a middle-class home shouldn’t be paying the same tax rate as someone who lives in a mansion.”
PropertyTaxTaskForce_FINALREPORT_OF_THE_GOVERNORS_PROPERTY_TAX_TASK_FORCE
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 9, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 9 drawing
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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 9 drawing
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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
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This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A restraining order has been issued that blocks the Montana Republican Party from enacting new bylaws intended to drive nonconformists…
A restraining order has been issued that blocks the Montana Republican Party from enacting new bylaws intended to drive nonconformists out of the party ranks.
Lewis and Clark County District Judge Michael F. McMahon issued the restraining order Wednesday morning. The order had been requested by county precinct committees and officers suing the state party organization over the new bylaws. The plaintiffs are the Yellowstone County Republican Central Committee, the Choteau County Republican Central Committee, and individual committee members Jeff Essmann, Ted Kronebusch, James Wilson and state Rep. Brad Barker, R-Red Lodge.
At issue are bylaws passed during MTGOP’s June platform convention that the litigating party members say amount to “fraudulent and corrupt practices.” The new bylaws require members to pay $20 in annual membership dues and pledge a loyalty oath, and subject members to removal from elected party positions for nonpayment of dues or for “conduct deemed inconsistent with party purposes,” as determined by executive party party officers. The new bylaws allow charges for removal to be brought by any 20 official Republican Party members.
Montana Republican Party Chairman Art Wittich, the only official spokesperson for the state party, has not responded to voicemails and texts sent to his cell phone Wednesday. Wittich, elected party chairman in June 2025, has long been emphatic about exposing “Democrats disguised as Republicans” — for Wittich a now decade-old battle that spun into a bitter multimillion-dollar war between party hardliners and relative centrists in this spring’s Republican legislative primaries.
The centrists drew the ire of the hardliners in 2025 by collaborating with Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and legislative Democrats to pass a balanced state budget and key pieces of legislation, including increased taxes on second homes and property tax reductions for primary residences and small businesses.
What constitutes disqualifying conduct isn’t fully spelled out in the bylaws, but they do specify that “collaborating with Democrats” in the Legislature, the governor’s office, the courts, or elections can get members disciplined or removed.
The lawsuit alleges that “The 2026 bylaws empower a small group within the party to revoke Republican affiliation from candidates or office holders, undoing primary nominations by the electorate.”
The plaintiffs argue that Montana voters, not party bylaws, should determine who represents the Republican Party in general elections and who represents voting precincts on the publicly elected county-level Republican committees that coordinate local political activity.
The Montana Legislature in 2019 passed a bill protecting publicly elected party precinct committee officers from being arbitrarily removed from office and defined attempts to do so as “fraudulent and corrupt practices.” That law, sparked by Republican Party infighting 10 years ago, is the foundation of the current lawsuit.
There has been a surge of public interest in Republican precinct-level politics following a perceived lack of support by party hardliners for Republican candidates in conservative strongholds like Flathead County, where more than 60 new precinct committeemen and committeewomen were elected in June. That wave of new officers was preceded by Flathead County Republican Central Committee members considering an endorsement of Libertarian Sid Daoud for Kalispell mayor over Republican Kisa Davison in late 2025. The Kalispell mayor’s race is nonpartisan, but Republicans have gone to court to secure the party’s right to endorse candidates in nonpartisan races.
Wittich’s own campaign for precinct committeeman representing Whitefish was a casualty of that new wave of public interest. He lost to Republican Giuseppe “G-man” Caltabiano, who serves on the Whitefish City Council.
Caltabiano’s wife, Roxanne Ross, defeated Candace Wittich, wife of the Republican chair, in the same election.
State law gives precinct officers two-year terms and specifies that they can be removed only for death, written resignation or loss of residency. The new bylaws state that participation in party governance, including service as a precinct official, “is a privilege of association, not a right conferred by public office or candidacy. Members must act in good faith to support the Party’s purpose and must not engage in conduct materially inconsistent with the Party’s interests, including conduct that undermines its platform, policy positions, election operations, or internal governance.”
The recent changes to the party bylaws allow precinct officeholders to be suspended from voting in party matters and replaced by party leadership for noncompliance. Empty precinct seats can be filled by the Republican Party chair.
“Every Republican candidate sells their version of Republicanism to the people in a primary campaign, and the voter chooses which version to buy,” the lawsuit states. “The party cannot dictate what brands of Republicanism are on the market.”
Former MTGOP chair Jeff Essmann, a plaintiff who is also a long-serving precinct officer, said in his affidavit that members of the Republican State Central Committee weren’t given a required notification about attempts to amend the bylaws. He said he would have attended the platform convention and argued against amending the bylaws if he had known.
“The 2026 Bylaws empower any twenty members of the Party to recommend any other member of the Party for expulsion from the party, to be determined by the State Central Committee, even people who do not reside in Yellowstone County and who have never met me,” Essmann said in the affidavit.
Other central committee members produced pre-convention emails about potential changes to the bylaws, but no details about the amendments.
In issuing the order, McMahon indicated that Republicans challenging the bylaws are likely to succeed. He set a July 13 hearing on whether to make the order permanent.
“Plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims that the challenged provisions are inconsistent with Montana election law and constitutional protections governing candidacy, nomination, speech, association, due process, and elected precinct committee representatives,” McMahon ruled.
___
This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing
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Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing
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Winning Montana Cash numbers from July 8 drawing
08-16-17-22-27
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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing
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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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