Montana Governor Talks Property Taxes and Disaster Funding

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Montana Governor Greg Gianforte appeared on the KGVO Talk Back show on Wednesday to address several issues of importance to our listeners.

The first was an executive order for disaster funding after strong winds blew through Stevensville and Hamilton and caused heavy damage.

The Governor Discussed an Executive Order for Disaster Funding

“This executive order that I signed this week frees up state resources to make sure we can respond to the needs of the community, just like we did in Missoula when that huge windstorm came through recently,” began Governor Gianforte. “This was not quite as severe and not as many people lost power, but still, there was significant damage in these communities, and we wanted to mobilize state resources, so the executive order made sense for us.”

While not as severe as the windstorm in Missoula, Gianforte praised the efforts by emergency service workers in the affected areas.

“I'm so proud of our disaster and emergency services folks,” he said. “We have county-level coordinators who are really the point people, and then they're backed up by the state resources and our state disaster and emergency services have available to them the resources of the Montana National Guard as well as the funds that are in our emergency response accounts, so we mobilized that because it was warranted in these particular cases.”

He Said the Windstorm Had Gusts of Over 50 Miles Per Hour

The windstorm that occurred on August 23 brought wind gusts of over 50 miles per hour damaged both Hamilton and Stevensville, including trees falling in public streets, city parks and other public areas, which damaged parked vehicles, homes, and power lines, disrupting power services, and impacting delivery of government services, including at the Hamilton’s wastewater treatment facility.

On Wednesday’s Talk Back show, the Governor also answered questions about rising property taxes.

“Property taxes are driven primarily by local spending,” he said. "Including K through 12 schools in local municipalities, but in fact, not a dime of property taxes comes to the state. It's driven exclusively by local spending. So, here's the problem. Over the last 20 years, inflation has averaged 2.4 percent per year, but local spending growth has averaged 6 percent per year. That's the root of the (higher) property taxes.”

Gianforte also Praised his Property Tax Task Force

Gianforte said his Property Tax Task Force came up with some ideas that he will pursue as the 2025 state legislature convenes in January.

“The proposal I like the best is something called a homestead and a ‘com-stead’ exemption,” he said. “This would basically shift the burden of property taxes away from small businesses and away from Montana residents to out-of-state folks that have second homes here.”

The Governor also discussed the massive layoffs at the Stillwater Mine, and how the NCAA’s (NIL) Name, Image, and Likeness proposals would penalize schools in Montana.

READ MORE: Governor Gianforte Pushes Back On NCAA