Fact or Fiction? Ask Us!

The 2004 Master Parks & Recreation plan is on our main website.  You can learn more and comment on the 2024 parks master plan on this Engage Missoula project.

Yes, No, and a Clarification

Clarification

The 2023 appraisal notices include a column for "Estimated 2023 General Taxes."  That number is only an estimate.  If all jurisdictions (City, County, schools, and special districts) levy the same number of mills in 2023 as they did in 2022, this is what your taxes would be.  However, because property values went up so much, each mill is likely to be worth a lot more this year than they were last year, and government may be able to levy fewer mills to raise the same amount of money. We won't know the value of those mills until August 7, 2023.  Each unit of local government will determine the number of mills to levy after that as part of their budget processes.  You can weigh in on the City's budget here on Engage Missoula and talk to the County at Missoula County Voice.  If you have questions about your appraisal notice, please visit the Department of Revenue's website for detailed information and meeting dates.  Montana Free Press has an informative article explaining how property appraisals impact property taxes:  Property taxes explained - with pictures.

No

Montana law does not currently have any provisions limiting how much an individual's property taxes can increase in a given year.  You can view the State's website for information about available property tax relief programs.  In addition, there is a property tax rebate available for property taxes paid on a primary residence in 2022.  Make sure you file your claim between August 15 and October 1 to get the rebate.  This program does not have any income limits.

Yes

There is no limit on how much an individual's property taxes can go up, but local government is limited in how much it can raise taxes each year.  The City of Missoula's general fund has reached its property tax cap.  We will likely need to reduce the number of mills we levy this year due to the reappraisal increases.

Learn More

We have additional information about understanding property taxes on our main website.

The Missoula City Council will be discussing the City's budget in Budget and Finance Committee meetings each Wednesday through August, and there will be a public comment period during each of those meetings.  Our formal public hearing for the budget opens at the full City Council meeting on August 7 and we plan to adopt the final budget on August 21.  You can find all City meetings listed on our website, with agendas posted at least two days prior to the meeting.  You can also follow our budget process here on Engage Missoula.  

Missoula County sets their own tax rates independent of the City.  You can follow their budget process and see their public meeting schedule at Missoula County Voice.

Missoula County Public Schools has already gone through their public process, with the levy election that occurred in May.  You can learn more about their budget on the MCPS website.

The City's Community Planning, Development, and Innovation department keeps the school district informed of current development activity so that they can anticipate where near term growth is occurring.  We are also including them in the planning process we are currently involved in for updating our community growth plan (Our Missoula Growth Policy) which will include an estimated 20 year population projection for the entire community.  We also have a staff person who that sits on the MCPS facilities committee and that helps a lot with sharing information.

The City has a project for Lower Miller Creek Road from Linda Vista Boulevard to Jack Drive currently in the design phase, but it likely won't be under construction until around 2025.  The project has been in planning and design since before the Riverfront Trails Subdivision proposal was submitted.  

The current funding for the project is planned to be a combination of Traffic Impact Fees and Special Improvement District funds.  Properties within the Riverfront Trails Subdivision (if the development is approved) will be contributing to the project via the SID.  There was no prior agreement for the developers to pay for the improvements.  All new development also pays impact fees to offset the cost of infrastructure and other capital improvements. 

This is a private development and not city-initiated, so city staff would not necessarily know if the developer has left the project.  However, the Heron's Landing subdivision has received all City approvals, including annexation into city limits, zoning, and subdivision phasing.  The plat map for phase W1 was submitted and approved in summer 2021.  These approvals are all attached to the land, not to the developer.  I can't speak to whether or not the developer has left the project, but the approvals for the subdivision all remain in place even if the developer chooses to withdraw and transfer the subdivision.

Missoula has a Coordinated Entry System, which is a program that coordinates all community housing resources at a single point of entry.  It helps us reduce duplication of services and provides us with data to help improve our outcomes.  Of the people in that system who reported a most recent residence, 74% are from Montana.  

The software platform we use to host Engage Missoula does not have options for formatting text in the questions field, which is why the paragraphs ran together.  The best way to ask multiple questions in the future is to submit each one separately.  This improves readability both for staff and for other site participants who are interested in the response.  In addition, it allows staff to respond quickly to some questions and take the time to research others as needed, rather than delaying the entire response until all answers can be gathered.

We get this kind of question a lot, and the answer is that we’re not sure.  While we occasionally get inquiries from businesses that are exploring Missoula, we don’t really know what’s coming until the business submits an application for a permit, a zoning request, or other regulatory paperwork.  If a project review requires a public meeting, you’ll find it on our Development Applications page.   If you’re curious about construction you see around town, you can check the map in Buildingeye to find permit information at that location.

The City works closely with the Missoula Economic Partnership and others who want to bring businesses to Missoula.  We provide information about our zoning, economy, and regulations to interested parties.  We don’t decide whether or not a business should be in Missoula.  Our role is to adopt and enforce zoning regulations.  Those regulations determine what types of businesses, such as retail or manufacturing, can be located in specific areas of town, and what requirements, such as parking and landscaping, are needed.  Register for an account to be part of future conversations about zoning and other City regulations.