Commissioners give Plum Creek tax break

The Flathead County commissioners approved a tax break for Plum Creek Timber Co. on Thursday by a 2-1 vote.

The company made the request as part of the county's new and expanding business program, which is intended to encourage manufacturing firms to make new investments.

Plum Creek asked for the tax break after installing a $1.4 million concrete catch basin that recycles wastewater at the company's medium-density fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls.

Commissioners Joe Brenneman and Bob Watne voted to approve the request; Commissioner Gary Hall voted in opposition.

"Making all our department heads cut back [their budget requests] while we're giving Plum Creek a tax break for a water basin doesn't sit well with me," Hall said.

However, Brenneman noted that the request met all the conditions of the incentive program.

The resolution that created the program "doesn't mention anything about increasing employment," Brenneman said. "It has four requirements and this request clearly meets all four."

Brenneman suggested that the commissioners might want to consider changing the resolution, but that wouldn't affect Plum Creek's request.

It's unclear how much tax revenue the county lost by approving this tax break. That information typically isn't included in the application, and the commissioners don't ask for it.

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In other action, the commissioners rescinded a recent emergency declaration related to flooding.

The declaration was approved June 8.