BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Bozeman School District approved the budgets for both elementary and high schools for the upcoming school year. The approved budget totals over $122 million, primarily funded through state taxes.
Despite the approval, school officials in Bozeman recommended not setting any mills. This comes in response to errors found in the 2023 appraisals, which showed a dip in taxable income.
In an effort to address these appraisal errors, a meeting is scheduled in Belgrade tonight. Both Bozeman and Belgrade are affected by these errors.
“The taxable value distributed for Gallatin County was incorrect. The DOR ran out of time and was unable to include all newly taxable property in our certified taxable values,” the statement said.
These miscalculations impact multiple jurisdictions within Gallatin County, including the cities of Bozeman and Belgrade, as well as their respective school districts. According to the press release, if taxes are levied based on these incorrect values, existing property owners might face higher tax bills while new properties may avoid payments until 2025. This could lead to revenue shortfalls and potentially lower levels of service to the communities.
“These impacts are not acceptable to our elected officials, administrators, and constituents. We cannot stress enough how much we appreciate the Department of Revenue’s efforts during a time period where property tax fatigue and angst is elevated statewide,” the district emphasized.
