Missoula County Property Taxes to Increase by $5.7 Million in 2026

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Missoula County Commissioners met this week to release the proposed 2026 fiscal year budget, and property owners will have to dig deeper to pay their property taxes.

I spoke with Missoula County Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury on Friday, who provided details of increasing property taxes next year.

County Property Taxes will Increase by $5.7 Million in 2026

“The county is looking at a few increases this year to kind of catch up with some of the things that we've deferred due to the rising inflation, but we've hit the point where we can no longer kind of defer many of those,” began Lounsbury. “This year, the county is looking at an increase in its property taxes of right around $5.7 million in additional needs in property taxes to fund its base ongoing operations for Missoula County.”

Lounsbury broke down the numbers so that individual property owners can better understand the increases.

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The Tax Increase on a $600,000 Home will be About $83 a Year over 2025

“What that translates to for folks as far as the impact on their property taxes is a little complicated this year by the changes that were made at the legislature,” he said. “As we see those play out, what we expect is that for a $600,000 home in Missoula County, which would be about $83 a year, roughly, in an increase in property taxes that will be needed by the county.”

Lounsbury said public safety issues lead the way for the increase in property taxes.

“The biggest increase that we're seeing this year really is around our public safety personnel items,” he said. “Some of those show up at our 911 Center, our county attorney's office, as well as our sheriff's department and detention facility. Those increases are driven by the fact that we continue to struggle to recruit and retain employees to fill those positions. We've made some progress over the last year, but we're still down about five 911 dispatchers and about nine detention officers, which is progress from where we've been, but we do want to have those positions filled, because they are critical public safety positions.”

The Biggest Need is for More Public Safety Positions in the County

Lounsbury said the 2025 legislature did attempt to provide some property tax relief, including a rebate from the state.

“There will be another rebate this year from the state of Montana to help with property taxes for folks,” he said. “Folks can apply for that property tax rebate starting right around August 15, through the Department of Revenue website. So that would be one place that folks can go.”

Call the County Commissioners at 406-258-4877 or Visit Online

Lounsbury said any county taxpayer can get questions answered by calling the County Commissioners' office at 406-258-4877, or public comment can be shared at the county public administration meetings every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m.