should we raise city taxes?

[jimj]

The interesting thing is, they've tried the sales tax thing for many years and it's been voted down each time. The only reason it's failed is there is always a promise to lower other taxes but it's NEVER written into the law and it's ALWAYS left open for the state to raise them when they feel the need. The state needs to realize that people here are not stupid, quite a few have lived in other states or have paid attention to those states and seen this type of thing done time and time again only to have the "promise" evaporate with the excuse usually given "we had more expenses than we thought"

Tax changes like this will NEVER pass until it's put in black and white that other taxes will be reduced or eliminated and it can't be changed again without voter approval.
If I were a person runing to be govenor or for the statehouse this is a platform I'd try to adopt and I'd almost bet on a win. People are getting tired of paying the freight for everyone else that "visits" and being constantly hit up for mill levies and add taxes to cover shortfalls that would be covered by a sales tax, not to mention just collecting sales tax on RV sales to out of state buyers would generate many dollars.
If you think I'm kidding, just go to some of the RV finance web sites where they have links on how to create an LLC in MT so you can buy a RV and avoid their local sales taxes. How is this good for us?

[A Neighbor]

jimj, you hit the nail on the head! If one politician would wake up here in MT, we could have a sales tax that wouldn't have the citizens of MT paying for things that others use. The sales tax thing would work if they would put the wording in to prevent an increase in property tax and a revocation of income tax.

Michael11747, there is a MT property tax that affects all owners of property in MT, not just farmers and ranchers or business people. I pay out $260 in state, district and university school levy, $38.42 for County taxes that covers bridges, weeds, library, ambulance, cemetery, museum, senior citizens, county fairs and general fund, and $254 for various location specific districts, landfill, city tax and refuse collection.

Sadly, we can sit here and come up with great ideas of how to change things regarding taxes all we want, but unless we talk to our local representatives or become one ourselves nothing is going to change. So here is my challenge to you, talk to your local representatives or run for a position where we might change things for the "better", I know that I'll be talking to the people who represent us at the state level and who knows maybe in the future I might even run.