March was a disastrous month for Seeley Lake. The departure of long-term employer Pyramid Lumber will leave an immeasurable impact on the area for some time. The loss impacting 100 or so jobs will ripple through the local economy and create uncertainty for the families involved.
Montana presents many unique challenges — the environment, transportation and workforce. Pyramid’s announcement cited a lack of available workers and retention of workers. Affordable housing in Seeley Lake became more complex due to out of state residents gobbling up property and groundwater restrictions that limit new housing.
The State of Montana under the guidance of Governor Greg Gianforte did nothing before these announcements and nothing after. Even though the state had a $2.4 billion surplus that could have been invested into long-term development, the governor and Republican Legislature felt it was a better idea to give billions to out of state and large corporations. On top of this they also increased taxes on property owners on average 26%, making affordability even more difficult to the average employee. Moving forward, this massive tax shift to local property owners will only encumber any potential suitor for the future of Pyramid.
In a televised interview on KGVO, Governor Gianforte denied the property tax increases went to the state and blamed it on “local spending, the schools and municipalities.” He reiterated, “none of your property taxes go to the state.” In reality, most counties are more than conscientious with their budgets. In fact, some experienced increases in expenditures to replace snow plows and necessary equipment, but no county increased more than 6% leaving the state to collect more than 20% in increased taxes. At the Big Sky 55+ conference in Billings, former Department of Revenue Director Dan Bucks disclosed the actual amount the state collected is more than $259,000,000 and will exceed $515,000,000 by the time the next Legislature convenes. Communities like Seeley Lake are left to struggle while the tax dollars collected go to the elite and corporate contributors.
So, what options do the workers from Pyramid Lumber have? Appearing on KECI TV, the governor stressed the low unemployment and numerous jobs available when referencing the soon to be laid off workers. Governor Gianforte spoke of the new opportunities with companies like Amazon who are opening a warehouse in Missoula. He said that they would be employing up to 100 at $17.00 per hour. Conversely, a story published on March 30, 2024 by the Montana Free Press indicated that the 100 available jobs are already filled. So, what is he really saying to the people of Seeley and Missoula County?
The governor and Republican Legislature are out of touch when it comes to helping communities like Seeley Lake and they need to be honest when discussing the tax liabilities placed on individual property owners. It’s apparent they are more concerned about the new transplants to the state and the large out-of-state corporations than they are to the local citizens.
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