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SB511 Funding Calculation Impacts Local Services
UPDATE - SB519 & HB865 also dramatically revise how local govt is funded and place essential services at risk. Please ask your area legislators to reject a one size fits all approach and allow your community leaders to make decisions with your input.
The essential services that make our cities and towns work, require funding. And that funding comes from property taxes. Without property taxes, we can’t fight fires, crime goes up, snow piles up, and potholes are everywhere. Without property taxes, there would be no public schools. Of the $1.99 billion in property tax revenue from 2022, $1.12 billion of that funded our local schools. SB 511 would drastically change how property taxes are calculated impacting all of these services we rely on.
- SB 511 will impact how cities and towns fund critical public services by changing how property taxes are assessed.
- Some towns could experience over a 50% reduction in property tax revenue.
- Areas like the Hi-Line would be hit so hard that there could be gaps in essential services that stretch hundreds of miles.
- From the smallest town in Montana, to our largest city, SB 511 would decrease funding for fire and police at a time when our state’s population is exploding.
- Right now, many communities are struggling to meet the demand for fire and police services and SB 511 will make matters even worse.
- SB 511 would drastically change how property taxes are calculated impacting the essential services we all rely on.
- All over Montana, we see and feel the influx of people coming into our state. Whether there are Montanans coming back home or new people moving in, things are changing and our local governments have had to adapt. On limited budgets our communities have had to fund more firefighters, more police officers, and more infrastructure like sewer and water to support new housing. SB 511 would reduce budgets that are already doing more with less.
- Gaps in critical public services would reduce responses to crimes, investigations of crimes, and prosecution of crimes.
- Gaps in critical public services would reduce response times to emergency medical calls, structure fires, and accidents.
SB 511 will impact how cities and towns fund public safety and infrastructure by changing how property taxes are assessed. As written now, towns like Dodson and Saco would experience over a 40% decrease in their general fund, the fund that pays police officers. SB 511 would decrease Ismay’s general fund by 99%! Areas like the Hi-Line could be hit so hard that there could be gaps in essential services that stretch hundreds of miles. From the smallest town in Montana, to our largest city, SB 511 would decrease funding for basic services at a time when our state’s population is exploding.
Right now, many communities are struggling to meet the demand for fire and police services and SB 511 will make matters even worse.
Legislators have already passed a $1 Billion tax package that includes property tax relief. Hamstringing city budgets with SB 511 will do long-term damage to our communities.
A General Primer on Property Tax
Property taxes are a way for local governments to raise money to pay for essential services like schools, roads, and police protection. They are based on the value of your property, and the amount you pay is determined by your local tax rate.
There are many reasons why we need property taxes. Here are a few:
- Property taxes help to fund our schools. Schools are essential to our community, and they provide our children with the education they need to succeed in life. Property taxes help to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to provide a quality education.
- Property taxes help to pay for our roads. Roads are essential to our transportation system, and they allow us to get around our community and to other parts of the country. Property taxes help to fund the construction and maintenance of our roads.
- Property taxes help to pay for our police protection. Police protection is essential to our safety, and they help to keep our community safe from crime. Property taxes help to fund the salaries of our police officers and the equipment they need to do their jobs.
Property taxes are a necessary part of our community, and they help to fund essential services that we all rely on.
Property taxes are a form of local government tax that is levied on the value of real estate. They are used to fund a variety of public services, such as schools, roads, and parks. Property taxes are important because they help to ensure that everyone contributes to the cost of these services, even if they don't directly use them.
Here are some of the reasons why we need property taxes:
- To fund public services: Property taxes are a major source of revenue for local governments, which use them to fund a variety of public services, such as schools, roads, and parks.
- To ensure fairness: Property taxes are a relatively fair way to raise revenue, as they are based on the value of property, which is a good proxy for wealth.
- To promote economic development: Property taxes can help to promote economic development by providing a source of funding for infrastructure and other projects that can attract businesses and residents to an area.