Billings Rep Backs Tax Collection Bill

Republican Billings Representative Donald Jones is backing House Bill 390, which would return overestimated property taxes collected by the state back to the taxpayers the next year.  KTVQ.com reports that the House Education Committee is expected to hear first testimony on the bill today.  Montana teachers union president Eric Feaver said he supports the bill.

Overestimating property taxes happened in a number of districts in 2016 and 2017, according the fiscal note on the bill.  The money collected is a mixture of state and local dollars.  Last year, six of 10 school districts that were anticipating increases in enrollment didn’t get those increases.  This year, four of nine districts also failed to hit their anticipated increases in enrollment.  Feaver said the bill would put sideboards around local money, so overestimating would not be of any advantage to a school district.