All but seven counties join revolt over school tax

According to information supplied this week by the Montana Association of Counties, 49 of Montana’s 56 counties have chosen to buck a directive from the administration of Gov. Greg Gianforte by scaling back their collections of a state-level school funding property tax.

The dispute stems from differing interpretations about how a local tax cap law applies to the tax, which produces revenue to help the state balance funding between tax-base-rich and tax-base-poor districts. The situation has now produced multiple cases pending before the Montana Supreme Court.

Those 49 counties will levy 77.9 mills of school equalization tax for 2023, as opposed to the full 95 mills ordered by the Montana Department of Revenue. The association tally indicates that only Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Glacier, Madison, Meagher, Teton and Toole counties will levy the full amount.