Residents Can Prepare For Second Half Tax Bills

Roosevelt County residents will receive a bit of unwelcome mail in May when the second half of their tax bills arrive.

The Montana Supreme Court ordered counties in December to levy calculated by the state for schools the full 95 mills, after most county commissions in the state had decided to levy less than that amount.

A majority of counties, including Roosevelt, levied 77.9 mills, as opposed to the full 95 mills, as part of a local solution to help homeowners with anticipated increases in property taxes.

Roosevelt County Commissioner Gordon Oelkers said the result will be that education will have $1 billion in its “pot.”

“It goes straight to the state,” Commissioner Gary Macdonald said of the higher amount of mills.

It is anticipated that the bills be mailed out in early May and must be paid by May 31.

A note prepared by the Montana Association of Counties will be included in the letter to county taxpayers.

The note includes the wording, “Please remember that the local county employees and the Department of Revenue employees did not play a role in this decision and the work they do is centered on complying with laws passed by the Legislature.”

The information from MACo also reads, “The Supreme Court ordered counties to comply, therefore your second half taxes will necessarily be increased to comply with the request from the Department of Revenue as directed by the governor and the order from the Montana Supreme Court.”