FACT CHECK: Only the governor authorizes Montana’s property tax rate
What are Republican city and county leaders saying?
KALISPELL, Mont. — Governor Greg Gianforte is now blaming his own record property tax hike on “drunken sailors,” his latest term for city and county elected leaders, many of whom are fellow Republicans pushing back against the governor’s lies.
Gianforte made the remarks on the talk radio program Voices of Montana earlier this month, during which he — yet again — falsely blamed Montana’s record property tax increase on “local municipalities.”
FACT CHECK: Only the governor authorizes the residential property tax rate. Ignoring a 2022 warning from his own Department of Revenue, Gianforte and his supermajority in the 2023 Montana Legislature greenlighted the current tax rate, resulting in an average residential property tax increase of 21 percent in 2023.
But battling a dismal 37 percent approval rating, Gianforte wants Montanans to believe his tax hike isn’t his fault.
The “drunken sailors” Gianforte are referring to presumably include Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson, Choteau Mayor Chris Hindoien and Beaverhead County Commissioner Mike McGinley — all outspoken Republicans.
“Once [Gianforte] finally understands [our budget], if he has some criticism or some opportunity to give us input, I will take it, but until that point the governor better shut the hell up,” Johnson said, characterizing rhetoric like Gianforte’s as “pot-shots from Helena.”
In an open letter to his constituents, Hindoien wrote: “Gianforte, along with the Governor’s Housing Task Force, and some members of the Legislature, have tried to blame local government on that tax. THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.”
And McGinley, another pointed critic of Gianforte, said “a Republican legislature and a Republican governor is growing state government on purpose, putting it on county tax bills, blaming county commissioners across the state.”
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QUICK FACTS:
- Pronunciation: Ryan BUSS’-ee
- Home: Kalispell, Mont.
- Office Sought: Governor of Montana
- Affiliation: Democrat
- Website: busseformontana.com
- X (Twitter): @ryandbusse
- DOB: 2/23/70 (53)
- Occupation: Writer, Consultant, Firearms Expert and Former Executive (Vice President of Sales, Kimber America: 1995-2020)
- Family: Married to Sara for 24 years; two sons: Lander (18) and Badge (15)
- Alma Mater: Bethany College (Kansas)
- Chevy Odometer: 280,000 miles
- Hunting Dogs: Aldo and Teddy
- Bio: Ryan Busse is an author and former firearms executive who helped build the gun company Kimber from Kalispell between 1995 and 2020. Over his 25-year career Busse directed the sales of nearly three million Kimber firearms. His memoir, Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, was published by PublicAffairs (Hachette) in 2021. Busse was born near the Kansas cattle ranch homesteaded by his great-grandfather. He is an avid hunter, angler and champion of public lands, and has held leadership positions with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Montana Conservation Voters. Busse and his wife Sara live in Kalispell and have two teenage sons.