Kalispell taxpayers to get two tax bills

Kalispell city taxpayers will be encouraged not to pay their property tax bills this fall — unless their bills are marked “corrected” in bright red ink at the top.

City taxpayers can expect to see two bills, one for the wrong amount and one for the right amount. The corrected bills will be the lesser of the two.

“I made a mistake figuring this year’s mill levy,” said Rick Wills, Kalispell’s finance director.

A first round of bills was prepared without the city accounting for nearly $70,000 in revenue from the state, resulting in Kalispell over-levying its taxpayers.

The revenue was a local government reimbursement related to Senate Bill 372, which the Legislature passed last year to reduce business equipment tax rates.

“Corrected” tax bills accounting for that reimbursement are being prepared this week by the Flathead County Treasurer’s Office and should be in the mail by week’s end. 

The hope is that both tax bills will reach Kalispell mailboxes on the same day so that people can pay the right one.

The difference between the two bills is 1.8 mills, with the corrected bills being for the lower amount.

“The amount [saved] will vary based on taxable value. I looked at mine, because I live in the city, and the difference on my tax bill was about $4,” Wills said. “We figured the majority will be under $5. But it was a mistake we wanted to get corrected. Some will be for a lot more, obviously, but for the most part it’s a small adjustment.”

The issue will affect every property owner in Kalispell except for the owners of tax-exempt properties such as churches and hospitals, city and county officials said.

Preparing and mailing this second round of tax bills for Kalispell is anticipated to cost the city about $4,000 more, Flathead County Treasurer Adele Krantz said.

Kalispell City Manager Doug Russell said he expects the city to incur some additional costs because of the error. 

“We’ll find somewhere inside the budget to account for any of that,” he said.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.