FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Figures Show GOP Control in

Montana for 12 Years

Made Homeowner Property Taxes Soar

(Helena, MT) – A new report reveals that under twelve years of Republican control of all branches of Montana’s state government, homeowners’ property tax bills soared more than 50% on average.  The figures strongly contradict Montana Republicans’ election-time claim that during years that they dominated the Montana Legislature and the Governor’s office, they were responsible for reducing property taxes.  GOP policies shifted the property tax burden from large, out of state corporations onto small businesses and ordinary homeowners.

“Thanks to Republican policies, homeowners now pay a dramatically larger share of property taxes in Montana than corporations.  It is unfair,” said House Democratic Leader Rep. Dave Wanzenried. 

Using mill levies as a consistent measure of changes in property taxation, owners of residential, commercial and agricultural property saw their property tax bills increase by more than 50% on average in the period 1993 to 2005 – generally years of Republican control of both legislative chambers and the Governor’s office -- as a direct result of failed Republican policies that favored out-of-state corporations at the expense of homeowners. 

The second major contributor to increased homeowner property taxes was Republicans’ refusal to properly fund the State’s share of public school classrooms.  As Republican legislatures reduced the State’s share of public education funding, local school boards again were forced to raise local mill levies just to maintain the same level of service.

“We had a clear-cut choice to put money into schools at the state level and the Republican Majority decided that no once again they were going to pass along property tax increases and it can’t be disguised any other way,” said Wanzenried.

Democrats pledged today to oppose policies in the Montana Legislature that shift ever more of the tax burden onto the backs of homeowners and small business owners.  Democrats will support tax relief that targets homeowners, like the $400 ‘Square Deal’ rebate in 2007.   “Homeowners deserve property tax relief. They haven’t gotten any in a long time and now is the time to do it,” said Wanzenried.

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Wanzenried.republican06.mp3 (11 seconds)

We had a clear-cut choice to put money into schools at the state level and the Republican majority decided that no once again they were going to pass along property tax increases and it can’t be disguised any other way.

Wanzenried.relief06.mp3 (6 seconds)

Homeowners deserve property tax relief. They haven’t gotten any in a long time and now is the time to do it.