Seeley Swan Pathfinder -

Jennifer Patchen has lived in Seeley Lake most of her life. She was shocked when she opened a letter from the Montana Department of Revenue earlier this month.

“I was like ‘oh my god’” Patchen said. “I opened up that (letter) and seen (my taxes) and it was almost 100% more than last year’s.”

Patchen lives behind the elementary school and is not the only one getting shocking tax assessments. Across the Seeley-Swan area — and the rest of Montana — residents are receiving new property values from the state, which coincide with their local share of property taxes.

Most in the...