Appleton, WI, 75, Pray, Park County, Montana
Rancher, BS Montana State.
I have been a life long, with the exception of my first two weeks, resident of Montana. I have lived and worked in Park County for over 50 years.
I have been a school board member for two terms, a County Commissioner for two terms and a State Representative for Two terms. In addition, I was employed as a MSU Extension Agent for nearly 30 years. My wife and I purchased ranch in 1980 and paid for it through thick and thin. I have been employed as a fleet Manager for Yellowstone Country motors for the past seven years.
I know Park and Gallatin Counties and the importance of keeping a quality efficient governments. Transparent and responsive to the people.
Property taxes and property appraisal need to be addressed. As a member of the House Taxation Committee, I can help mold a fair tax. It is important for the public to know that the Montana Constitution requires the state to value property at market rate to that needs to be considered in any legislation.
Housing is short and people are finding affordable housing difficult. You cannot allow seven million people to come into our southern border without having an impact on housing supply and costs.
The mill levies should have been adjusted to the new appraisal values. Some were, some not. Those fixed mills could not be adjusted. Newer voted mills should have an allowance for adjustment to property values.
I believe that Medicaid is doing a decent job of meeting the health issues of lower income citizens. Especially Medicaid expansion which allows for some preventative medicine.
I do not share their concerns. I do think we need more vocational education programs at the high school level and vocational training after high school.
Born Tucson, AZ. 61 years old. Bozeman resident since 2005. BA, Philosophy, Wesleyan University (1985). MBA, Cornell University (1991). Occupation: Business. Father of three public school/MSU attendees. Grew up in a rural farming town (Maryland). Worked in non-profits, spent 30+ years in international satellite communications, built and sold two companies in Bozeman. Active in running community, schools, BridgerCare, business mentoring. Also lived (Hungary, Israel, South Africa) and worked abroad. Love our shared public lands (ultra runner). I want to set aside partisan differences so we can work together to help Montanans become the best version of themselves, and to manage the state better than it has been managed these past few years.
(1) Women’s rights: I will defend equality, the right to personal privacy, and the MT State Constitution. (2) Property taxes: (a) The increase was a mistake that we should fix immediately (b) Montana residents should pay a lower tax than non-residents. (c) Renters should not be forgotten. (3) Growth and Affordable Housing: Allow local community input. (4) Medicaid Expansion: Brings medical care, money, and stabilizes the rural healthcare infrastructure. (5) Income tax fairness: We should use our success to invest in the present { bridges and roads} and in the future {public schools, wildlife protection, affordable housing}, instead of destabilizing our finances and shifting tax burden to lower wage earners, like the 2023 Legislature did.
(1) Previous legislatures fixed the property tax formula to be fair and not too different from last year’s. The 2023 Legislature didn’t do this, resulting in residential increases and cuts for large corporations. The responsibility lies with the Legislature, not the counties or local governments. Fixing the formula is easy and I’ll join others to make it happen. (2) I propose (a) we set the proportionality of the Residential tax component at a fixed percentage of the Total Property Tax to be Collected, and (b) tax “2nd homes” and “short-term rentals” owned by non-residents at a higher rate than residents pay. (3) Fix the tax system so we can secure funding for public schools from the General Fund. I will learn and offer solutions as I can.
(1) Our humanity is defined by how we treat one another. Providing mental and physical health care services is not only the right thing to do, it also is cost-effective and will save taxpayers money in the long run. (2) The Legislature should support Medicaid Expansion that has provided needed health care coverage for working Montanans, helps families and small businesses that rely on these workers, especially important in rural parts of the state. (3) Support local non-profits to provide mental health and service support. (4) Increase funding for substance abuse and mental health programs. (5) DPHHS should do a better job reimbursing local programs and be compassionate in keeping people on assistance rather than trying to kick them off,
Investing in safe, quality education for our children must be a priority. (a) At the least, the current budget cap on inflation increases should be reformed to match inflation. (b) We are a successful state, and there is no better investment a government can make in its people than through public education – we should set a healthy school budget and adjust as needed. (c) We should invest in better pay for teachers and school workforce, including using the state’s success to provide financing support for housing. (d) We should invest in pre-K, with a sensitivity to include current providers. (e) I also strongly support university and vocational program expansion and access, as well as looking to reduce the financial burden on participants.
