2024 Voter Guide: Senate District 5
Matt Regier (R)
Age: 44
Occupation: Small business owner, construction.
Family: NA
Background: Flathead High School and University of Montana graduate
What property tax reform policies do you support?
Across our state, but especially in the west, property taxes have become unmanageable. There is not a single silver bullet that can drastically reduce our property tax. Each contributor to the high tax price tag must work together to provide relief for homeowners. At the state level we could start by mitigating the state property tax rate. In 2017, I supported House Bill 558 which lowered the state property tax rate. It died before getting to the governor's desk. In 2021, House Bill 636 would have done the same, lowering the state's rate on property tax. Unfortunately, it didn't get out of committee. The state can do with less revenue from homeowners. At the state level we can also implement code reforms. One example is levies that are approved by voters are property tax increases that stay forever. A community of two or three decades ago could be quite different than the community today. Why should the residents of 30 years ago determine part of your property tax mills? At least every 10 years a community should get the chance to review levies in place and vote if they want to continue that property tax burden. These are a few simple ideas the state could implement to help relieve property tax burden.
Did the 2023 legislative session do enough to address the state’s housing crunch? Are there other avenues you’re in favor of pursuing?
It was good to see our state supreme court reverse the Montana district court decision to allow Senate Bill 323 and 528 to take effect and loosen government restrictions on private property use. This will open a variety of options for building housing. Land is a major expense in creating new housing and these bills will help lower the cost to build. The state can continue to help lower the price of housing by incentivizing natural resource productivity. Growing up in the Flathead in the 90s, I used to see signs all over the place that stated, "this family supported by timber dollars." It is no coincidence that our lumber mills are gone as well as those signs. All the decisions by judges, legislators (state and federal) and elected officials to stop managing our natural resources has contributed to housing material rising in cost. As well as the decisions to overregulate, what can and cannot be built and how big the lots must be. Also, the demand has risen with the influx of migration to our state. I don't blame anyone for moving here. There is no better place on earth to live, work and play. However, we as a state do not have to spend state dollars on a marketing blitz in New York or San Francisco to get people to come to Montana. At the state level we need to do a better job of protecting life here in Montana and not trying to incentivize out-of-state change. Those are a few contributing factors to an increase in housing costs.
Public school districts across the state are facing budget shortfalls. What role can the Legislature play in shoring up public education funding?
The state of Montana can incentivize accountability in the government-run education system. It is the Montana taxpayers (large percentage of our property tax) that fund the educational system. It is fair to the parents, the hard-working teachers, the property taxpayers and most importantly to the kids that utilize government education that the system is accountable and efficient. An example is from 2000-2019 in the U.S. public education system there was an increase of 7.6% in student enrollment, 8.7% in teachers and an increase of 87.6% in district administrators. That is an expensive, top heavy, shift of resources to administration. This is one of many questions that need be asked of the Montana education system as to where the tax dollar is best spent to benefit our kids.
How do you view the judicial branch in the state?
To state the obvious, our Montana judicial branch was chartered to adjudicate the laws passed by the legislative branch. It was not created for Montana judges to mandate their personal political agenda. We have some great judges in Montana but unfortunately, there are those that that are changing our courtrooms into legislative hearing rooms. Example is current Montana judicial candidate Jerry Lynch who stated at a fundraiser in Great Falls, “The judiciary is the last bastion against a supermajority, so to speak. And you know what I’m talking about.” I must give Jerry credit that he is honest enough to say it in the open that his goal is to use the position of judge to stop the Legislature. This mindset is in a handful of current Montana judges too, and it is eroding the integrity of the entire Judicial Branch. Our Montana Constitution, under Art. VII defines the role of the Judiciary. Twenty-two different times it references the legislature or by law giving the legislative branch tremendous oversight over the judicial branch. We as the elected legislators need to protect the integrity of Montana judges and make sure judges adjudicate and not legislate.
What other policies or issues would you like to address if elected?
We are one of only a few states that still tax retirees’ Social Security benefits. We should eliminate this double tax on the money you have already earned. State government should not operate on the backs of senior citizens.
Link Neimark (D)
Age: 70
Occupation: Ski instructor and real estate investor
Family: Married
Background: Previously a candidate for U.S. Congress. Biologist for Alaska Department of Fish and Game, vice president of Kramer Auto Parts, head soccer coach for Waukesha South High School, ski school director at Highlands of Olympia, math teacher at Nicolet High School, gym teacher at Our Lady of Good Hope, water sports Instructor for Iron Horse Resorts, ski instructor and trainer for Whitefish Mountain Resort.
What property tax reform policies do you support?
Due to an influx of out-of-state buyers, property values have skyrocketed. In one way, this is very good news for property owners who have had a concomitant increase in equity; however, it is bad news for homeowners on fixed incomes who cannot afford to pay those taxes and stay in their own homes. It is only just that some of this burden gets shifted to out-of-state buyers and wealthy individuals with more than one home. The easiest way to accomplish this is with a slight property tax rate increase, more than offset by a rebate to local residents on their primary home. Currently, those resident homeowners can file for a $650 rebate. I would increase that amount to $2,000 (but not to exceed the amount of tax paid in).
Did the 2023 legislative session do enough to address the state’s housing crunch? Are there other avenues you’re in favor of pursuing?
There is still an obvious shortage of affordable housing. This is best addressed with zoning initiatives. Rules for ADUs (accessory dwelling units) should be eased to encourage construction of these “backyard homes” if they are used for long-term rentals. Developers looking to build new subdivisions should be encouraged (through permitting restrictions or tax incentives) to also construct a percentage of deed-restricted units for purchase by low to moderate income families. These deed-restricted units could be built outside of the proposed subdivision. Coal trust funds could be allocated to provide low-interest mortgage loans to first-time, moderate-income home buyers. To alleviate the shortage of construction workers (a major obstacle to new home construction), training in the construction trades could begin in high school or in subsidized community college programs. Tax incentives could also be provided to encourage the development of affordable tiny-home subdivisions.
Public school districts across the state are facing budget shortfalls. What role can the Legislature play in shoring up public education funding?
Montana’s expenditures on education, per student, rank 33rd in the nation. Student outcomes unfortunately and unsurprisingly are also on the low end. With recent increases in property values and proportional increases in property taxes, the state has had a windfall in revenue. Yet, not enough of this revenue has gone to support school funding. The state has a complicated formula for school funding that would need to be adjusted. One limitation on school budgets is a 3% cap on annual budget increases which was anticipated to cover an inflation rate of up to 3%. Unfortunately, inflation since Covid has been higher. The state could elect to raise this 3% cap or make a one-time catch-up adjustment. The state should eliminate (not expand as it has recently done) the tax credit for scholarship program which diverts tax revenue to private schools instead of filling budget shortfalls of the public education system.
How do you view the judicial branch in the state?
The judicial branch is doing a good job keeping the Legislature in check by invalidating any unconstitutional bills they may put forth. This is the way our system of checks and balances is designed to work. On our ballots, judges are treated as nonpartisan as they ideally should be. Some on the right would like to see judges elected to partisan positions as a way to circumvent these checks and balances. This would weaken constitutional protections and undermine our democracy.
What other policies would you like to address if elected?
Medicaid Expansion will be up for renewal soon and must be reauthorized. Thousands of our neighbors rely on this program for access to health care. Ninety percent of the funding for this program is provided by the Federal government. In 2022, the Federal government sent 1.8 billion dollars to Montana to fund Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion. It is a huge revenue source. We must reauthorize Medicaid Expansion. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also economically the smart thing to do. Regarding issues on a more general scale, there has been an erosion of our freedoms and basic rights, including human rights, voting rights, religious rights, and reproductive rights. It is imperative that we oppose any laws that would undermine those freedoms that so many in our country have fought and died for. Let’s all work together to ensure that Montana remains the Last Best Place.
Matt Regier
Link Neimark