Officials say DOR distributed incorrect property values for Gallatin County

BOZEMAN — County and city officials said in a joint press release on Monday that last week, the Department of Revenue (DOR) sent a letter saying that certified taxable values distributed for Gallatin County were incorrect.

The release said the DOR "ran out of time and was unable to include all newly taxable property in our certified taxable values." Among several impacted taxable jurisdictions are Gallatin County, the Bozeman School District, the City of Bozeman, the City of Belgrade, and the Belgrade School District, all of which issued the joint release.

According to the release, if taxes are levied based on the incorrect certified values, existing property owners are likely to pay higher tax bills, while newly taxable properties could avoid payments until 2025. Officials say the error will also lead to revenue shortfalls for some jurisdictions, possibly resulting in a lower level of community service.

Officials from Gallatin County, the Cities of Bozeman and Belgrade, and the Bozeman and Belgrade School Districts have sent a letter to the DOR requesting the department's support in correcting the issue before tax bills are mailed in October.