Havre Public Works breaks down property taxes

Havre Public Works has posted a series of sample tax bills on its Facebook page in an effort to show how property taxes are used by the city, and give people an idea of what kind of resources their department has to address problems with roads in town.

Havre Public Works Computer-Aided Drafting Technician Jamie Trueax, who made many of the posts, said people often look at their tax bill, see what looks like a very big number and assume Public Works has far more resources than they actually do, and the department is trying to clear up that common misunderstanding.

“One of the biggest things we hear is, ‘Well, I pay $3,000 in taxes, why aren’t the streets fixed.’ Well, we’re showing you why,” Trueax said.

One of the sample properties, for example, has a total tax bill of $3,116, and of that total bill, the city takes $674.18 for their General Fund, $124.70 for solid waste management, $30.17 for the storm sewer system, and $95.01 for street light maintenance, leaving $63.09 for street maintenance.

Trueax’s post says the General Fund is used to operate the city government, including the Havre Police Department, Havre Fire Department, and a portion of the Havre-Hill County Library.

Trueax said a lot of considerations are taken into account when determining what a particular property owes in taxes to the city in general, and for any given specific special assessment.

He said street maintenance money is determined largely by how much street is in front of the property, meaning those with corner lots tend to have to pay much more, and factors like zoning, and the presence of an alley also affect what people pay.

He said Public Works is also restricted in what they are able to do with the money they collect, as Montana law has restrictions on what they are able to address as maintenance.

“We are really hamstrung with what we can actually do with those 63 dollars,” he said.

Trueax’s post says that money can legally be used for things like “sprinkling, graveling, oiling, chip sealing, seal coating, overlaying, treating, general cleaning, sweeping, flushing, snow removal, leaf and debris removal, the operation, maintenance, and repair of traffic signal systems, the repair of traffic signs, the placement and maintenance of pavement markings, curb and gutter repair, and minor sidewalk repair that includes cracking, chipping, sinking, and replacement of not more than 6 feet of sidewalk in any 100-foot portion of sidewalk.”

Havre Public Works Director Trevor Mork, in discussing the matter of road conditions, has said that making significant improvements to infrastructure generally requires investment and public approval, while maintaining the roads to ensure a baseline of operation and safety is all they can do without a vote from the public.

Trueax said they are just trying to make clear to people the constraints that Public Works has to work within, which he hopes will help people understand why things are the way they are.