Commissioners Visit With House Officials

Roosevelt County commissioners visited with incoming State Rep. Natalie Weeks O’Neal and retiring State. Rep. Frank Smith during a meeting on Tuesday, July 7.

Commissioner Gordon Oelkers informed them of three possible issues. The first topic was an idea of counties receiving Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds when counties lost taxable funds when property becomes trust land. The federal distribution would be new money.

“We lose quite a bit of a land when it’s moved into trust land,” Oelkers explained. “Yet, the services are still there. We’re losing the taxable dollars all the time.”

He estimates the annual loss in tax revenue is $10,000, which are funds previously received by the county and schools. He said that reservations, including Fort Peck, contain a lot of trust land.

Another issue deals with the proposed SAVE America Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship when individuals register to vote. Oelkers, and other members of the National Association of Counties, feel that tribal IDs should qualify of proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

In a Montana issue, Oelkers explained that a state statute should be changed so counties can give land that’s behind in taxes to tribal governments. The current law allows counties to give land to city entities but not tribal governments.

Commissioner Robert Toavs said that for the process, the state code doesn’t recognize tribal governments as a government entity.

“It would be nice to have that option,” Toavs said.

Also during the meeting, commissioners discussed work starting on water projects in Brockton.