If you pay property taxes you should be very glad you live in Chouteau County and Big Sandy specifically.
As most property owners know, property taxes are going up this year due to the recent legislature taking funding away from education. By doing that I wonder if the legislature is telling us what they really think about education?
Thank heavens we have a couple of good legislators representing us in Chouteau County. they wrote a column that “The Mountaineer” printed last week along with reasons taxes are going up written by Superintendent Moore.
Both columns were very instructive and Superintendent Moore’s letter represented his Board of Trustees as well as himself.
Anyway, in the legislator’s column they mentioned that they heard afterward that this general funding bill that generated so much frustration especially for smaller schools might be a way to force schools to consolidate. That subject was not brought up in discussing the bill but it could have been the gorilla sitting in the corner.
As to consolidation, maybe that would mean that from Fort Benton north, those schools would all go to Havre. That would include Big Sandy. So, Big Sandy kids would go from a sixth ranked high school in Montana to one not even ranked! Who loses in that scenario?
The Board of Trustees for Big Sandy schools along with Superintendent Moore have agonized over what to do and tried to come up with many ways not to raise taxes any more than absolutely necessary. They should be commended for that. Not only do they run a very good school system but they are looking out for their neighbors along the way. Good for you!
Rest assured, when it comes time to run again for the legislature, “The Mountaineer” pledges to cover people running by asking them again and again, what are you going to be doing to get our stolen property taxes back? You citizens will be able to read their answers more than once and you can judge for yourselves who is should be sent to Helena.
