California’s Prop 13 Property Tax System Can Help Montana Homeowners

Please follow us on X and Telegram

Well, I’ve had my say about the ridiculous property tax situation we’re saddled with here in Montana — but rather than just be a chronic complainer, I’d like to put a real solution on the table. The answer just might be found in California!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “California? No thanks!” Believe me, I get it. When most Montanans hear “California,” they picture antifa rioters, traffic jams, and people who think bear spray is a cooking ingredient. But every once in a while, the golden state stumbles onto something that actually makes sense. After all, the Beach Boys gave us good vibrations, and the California created iPhone , keeps us connected to our grandkids. So maybe, just maybe, we can borrow one more good idea — California’s Proposition 13.

Back in 1978, California voters got fed up with runaway property taxes (sound familiar?) and passed Prop 13. It capped property tax rates at 1% of assessed value and, more importantly, limited how fast property assessments could rise — no more annual sticker shock from “reappraisals” that make you wonder if your modest home was secretly turned into a luxury resort overnight. Property values could only increase by up to 2% a year unless the property was sold.

The result? Predictability, stability, and sanity. Homeowners could actually stay in their homes without being taxed out of them. It kept communities stable, restrained government greed, and let folks plan their futures without fear of the next “tax surprise.”

So, maybe it’s time Montana took a page from that California playbook. We can skip their traffic, their politics, and their tofu lattes — but Prop 13? That’s one idea we should import.