Tell your legislator to support a Local Taxpayer Bill of Rights in Montana using this link:

https://americansforprosperity.actcentr.com/…/property…

As a taxpayer, you are the backbone of the state government, and it is time you were treated like it. Tell your legislator to support a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), H.B. 324! The legislation would cap government spending except during emergencies. We all know that nearly every single year, local governments find ways to get more of their money.

We recognize that as population and inflation go up, so does the cost of maintaining essential government services. However, local governments in Montana’s largest cities have far exceeded that spending level. As a result, Montanans are being taxed out of their homes because local governments cannot prioritize their spending habits.

A study from the Frontier Institute recently outlined how out of control the spending in Montana’s largest cities has gotten. The growth in the cost of services is caused by inflation and population growth. Between 2014 and 2022, Missoula spent 35.4% beyond population growth + inflation during that same period. Bozeman exceeded it by 35.3%, and Kalispell also by 35.3%.

Often, this comes with sizeable general tax increases, and while these are a huge problem, there are often many hidden taxes enacted by the local government. These increases include permit increases, special district assessments, Tax Increment Financing, and many more. Local TABOR addresses the root cause, wasteful spending by local governments that offers protections in all the above areas.

Colorado has an extraordinarily successful TABOR that limits the amount of money local governments can spend, stemming significant hidden tax increases without explicit voter approval! In many of Montana’s largest cities, local governments drastically increased their spending far above what population and inflationary growth would justify!

Tell your legislator to vote for TABOR in MT!