11/24/2025
Copied from a Nextdoor post by Jami S:
Mountain Line tax
HB764 took effect on Oct. 1, 2025 (for additional info see recent Missoulian article from Oct. 24, by Griffen Smith). The new statutes enable property owners to petition out of the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), a.k.a. Mountain Line bus, if not receiving direct service within 1.5 miles (as the crow flies) of a taxed property in the last five years. Most, if not all, residents who live within Nextdoor’s “Golden West Neighborhood” boundary qualify for removal from the MUTD and the associated property tax. There may be other properties on the outskirts of Missoula that qualify as well, such as upper Miller Creek and the Wye area. Currently the New Meadows and Golden West subdivisions have successfully petitioned out of the MUTD and the tax has been removed from their bills (the assessment on homes in these subdivisions ranged from $300-$700 annually). More petitions are underway as other subdivisions or streets that likely qualify for removal are Stillwaters subdivision, Ranch Club/Phantom Hills subdivision, Country Crest subdivision, El Mar Estates, Lazy H Trail, Cresthaven Dr, Wentland Ct, Council Way, Douglas Dr, Kelly Island Ct, Kootenai Dr, Frey Ln, Homestead Dr, Topaz Dr, Riverwalk Estates, Dino Ct, Mullan Trail subdivision, Emerald Dr, Shindig Dr, and Katoonah Lodges.
Petitions for removal can be submitted in one of two ways: 1) An individual property can be removed with 51% of registered voters signing at that address. 2) A group of property owners can be removed with 51% of registered voters signing from homes in a defined area (i.e. subdivision). A petition template and instructions (developed in accordance with current state statutes) are available by sending me a direct message with your email address.
The decision to de-annex from the MUTD is a personal one and this post is intended to share new information. If you are uncertain how much of your property tax goes to Mountain Line, look at the Special Districts section of your property tax bill, under Urban Transportation District (the MUTD includes both city and county properties). If you don’t see this designation on your tax bill, then you are not in the district.