EBS STAFF
This November, Gallatin County voters will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed motor vehicle tax increase aimed to improve transportation infrastructure. Currently, the tax, applied during vehicle registration, is 0.5% and the proposed increase would bring it to 0.7%.
According to a press release from Gallatin County, last fiscal year, the tax generated $11.26 million for county communities, supporting Gallatin County operations, the county’s general fund, public safety fund and road infrastructure. If approved, all of the county’s portion of the additional revenue from the increase would be dedicated to road infrastructure with additional funds going toward safety improvements, capacity expansion and maintaining transportation infrastructure.
“Montana has become a hotspot for out-of-state vehicle registrations because it’s financially advantageous,” Gallatin County Commissioner Scott MacFarlane stated in the release. “Many of these vehicles are not regularly used here yet benefit from our services. This modest tax increase helps us capture some of that financial interest and direct it toward the infrastructure our residents rely on.”
