MONTANA – Governor Greg Gianforte is preparing for his second term with a preview of his 2025 budget.
In a recent conference, Gianforte outlined his priorities, including a historic income tax cut. He plans to reduce the tax rate from 5.9 percent to 4.9 percent. The governor and his team estimate the total budget will be around $6 billion.
Tax relief is a major focus, with $850 million earmarked for income tax relief for Montanans. The budget also proposes changes to property tax, offering a homestead rate reduction. This would lower property taxes by 15 percent for homeowners and 18 percent for business owners.
Gianforte emphasized the need for local government cooperation, stating, “While our proposed reforms are directed to Montana residents for their primary homes, we need local governments to come on board to keep property taxes as low as possible. While many local jurisdictions are fiscally responsible. We need all local leaders to be fiscally responsible to make this work for Montanans.”
Beyond tax relief, the proposed budget includes funding to enhance the justice system by expanding the Montana State Prison and hiring more prosecutors and judges. It also aims to boost education by increasing teacher salaries and improve public infrastructure through annual funds.
The governor will release the full budget on Friday. Readers can check back for more details once it becomes available.
