Op-Ed: Are you happy about your new property tax bill?

Are you happy about your new property tax bill?

I'm definitely not.

Everywhere I go, people are grumbling about how much their property taxes increased.

But if you think nobody is happy, you're wrong. Governor Gianforte and the Republican legislative supermajority raised our property taxes. Yep, it's true, and it was intentional.

Sure, taxes are complicated, and we pay them because we have to. So, you might be asking an obvious question, like I did: Why in the heck would Republican leadership want homeowners to pay more in their property tax bill? The answer is simple math -- the governor and Republican legislators figured out that they could raise more money from Montana homeowners just to make sure that others could pay less in property taxes.

Let me explain. We pay property taxes to the state and our local governments for things like schools, public safety, aging services, public works, detention centers, libraries, health care, district courts, parks and recreation, weed control, search and rescue, and more. When our local legislators gather in Helena for a legislative session, they approve a budget that determines how much money Montanans will spend and for what over the next two years.

This year the legislature approved a budget that included Governor Gianforte's huge state residential tax increase for homeowners, and big tax cuts for businesses and corporations. The Montana Department of Revenue had recommended to the governor and Legislature that if they reduced the state residential property tax rate it would stop a tax increase for homeowners. Unfortunately, Gov. Gianforte and the Republican legislature ignored his agency's advice and passed his budget that imposed a huge tax increase on us.

Just a few months ago, the Governor was asked to call a special legislative session and take the Revenue Department's advice to reduce the homeowner tax rate before we got our home's bigger tax bills. Nothing happened. Now we're paying more taxes along with new legal fees. Why? Because elected county officials stepped in to sue the state to reduce the state's tax increase and asked the courts to decide what we should pay.

Who won? Not the homeowner. Think about that -- a Republican governor won a lawsuit to raise property taxes on your homes. I'm left shaking my head at this mess while angrily gearing up to pay another tax bill.

So, here we are, hardworking Montanans who own homes have to pay at least $200 million more each year in taxes. But don't forget about renters; they'll feel the pinch, too, because landlords will simply pass on this big property tax increase to them.

What can you do about it?

● Educate yourself on the facts, not the drama playing out in the media.

● For most of us, our mortgage payment includes taxes on our homes. Take time to read your tax bill to find out where your hard-earned money goes.

● Share your story - tell lawmakers you can't afford to pay for new taxes.

● Don't vote for anyone who raised your taxes, won't listen to homeowners, and won't give your money back.

It's time to elect candidates who understand the challenges of Montana homeowners and fight to cut our property taxes.