Category: Government
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Revised Regs Dictate Private Property Use in County
County regulations on how private property is used by owners, which were rewritten a couple of years ago, are being tweaked by the city/county planning department, to correct errors, spelling, grammar, etc. and make changes that weren’t working, according to Nicole Cromwell, Zoning Coordinator for the Planning Division of the City of Billings. The 96…
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Montana Tops GDP
In a report from the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Montana is at the very top in terms of our Gross Domestic Product – or how much we produce, as compared to the other states in our district. The Ninth District is comprised of five states, including Montana. The latest data,…
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Ending Taxpayer Subsidies for Stadiums
By Sarah Roderick-Fitch, The Center Square The debate over whether taxpayers should be on the hook for constructing professional sports stadiums has made its way back to Capitol Hill as lawmakers look to end taxpayer subsidies for multi-billion-dollar complexes. Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., and Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.,…
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Bill Would Help Fund Big Sky Passenger Rail Line
Those advocating to expand passenger rail service in Montana, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA), hang in limbo as HB 848 is pending in the state legislature, which would create a “Big Sky Rail Account” which would contribute to the estimated $2 billion price tag for a second rail line through southern Montana —…
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9th District Customers Skittish
By Haley Chinander, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Companies reported in a survey that profits and revenue declined, and some observed that additional economic uncertainty made already price-sensitive customers more skittish. The January survey received 568 responses from business owners across the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve Bank which includes Montana. Amid this uncertainty,…
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Tax on Natural Gas Repealed
By Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square America’s natural gas industry celebrated after President Donald Trump signed into law a resolution repealing Biden-era fees on methane emissions. The Waste Emissions Charge, which Republicans say is the equivalent of a natural gas tax, was authorized by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and implemented by the Environmental Protection…
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Tax Cut Could Really Be Real for Billings
City of Billings officials worry that a popular bill that promises property tax cuts for Montana, called the Homestead Rate Cut Bill, could have detrimental impacts on Billings. HB 231 would reduce property tax rates for many residents but it does so in a manner that would reduce revenue for the City of Billings, which…
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Legislature Looks at Reducing Business Tax
Governor Greg Gianforte, Senator Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, and local ag producers are urging support for reforms to the business equipment tax. Gov. Gianforte and Sen. Kassmier support a reform to permanently eliminate the tax’s burden for an additional 700 small businesses, family farms, and family ranches. “With hardworking Montanans in mind, we’re once again…
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County Elections Department Plans Move to Metra Park
By Evelyn Pyburn Yellowstone County Commissioners are taking a hard look at moving the county’s Election Department, in its entirety, to Metra Park. With the Election’s Department Director, Ginger Aldrich, concerned about not having enough space for the Department to perform its functions, especially after what was experienced in the November general election, County Commissioner…
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Consumer Sentiment Fell in February, Inflation Expected
Confidence among American consumers fell sharply in February, hitting a 29-month low, while long-run inflation expectations recorded their biggest monthly jump in 32 years, according to the latest University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. U.S. households are bracing for some uncertainty—possibly turbulence—as tariffs and other policies take effect, and as government spending shifts to the…