If passed, CI-134 would cut one-fifth of property tax revenue collected for Rural Fire Districts

CI-134 would cut over $12 million in funding for 195 Rural Fire Districts in 41 counties across the state, representing 19 percent of their property tax revenue in 2026. Some Rural Fire Districts would see revenue losses of greater than 25 percent, with no way to recover. For example, the Corvallis Fire District would see a cut of nearly $200,000 in its budget in 2027, 28% of its estimated 2026 property tax revenue. The Deer Lodge City Fire District would incur a revenue loss of nearly $250,000, 26% of its estimated 2026 property tax revenue.

Rural Fire Districts provide essential emergency services and fire protection in rural areas. CI-134 creates a property tax loophole for luxury vacation homes at the expense of essential emergency services for Montanans.

The following map shows the number of Rural Fire Districts by county that would lose property tax revenue under CI-134, estimated lost revenue, and revenue lost as a percentage of fire district property tax revenue in 2026.

If Passed, CI-134 Immediately Cuts Nearly $200 Million From Local Governments

Wealthy out-of-staters have bankrolled an effort to put CI-134 on the ballot for Montana voters this November. Signature gatherers are out in many communities with misinformation about what this initiative would do. If passed, CI-134 would put complicated property tax policy into the Montana Constitution, benefiting wealthy out-of-staters while cutting necessary funding for Rural Fire Districts, roads, and police.

The map below shows the immense impact CI-134 would have across the state, impacting numerous taxing jurisdictions in each county. Local taxing jurisdictions in some counties would see an estimated loss of over 25% of their property tax revenue.

Decline to sign CI-134, an effort by wealthy out-of-staters to lower their own taxes at the cost of essential services like fire and police.

Montana KIDS COUNT - County Data

County-specific information is some of the most needed and accessed data from Montana KIDS COUNT. It is used by local leaders as they make decisions for their communities, nonprofits or other groups when writing grants, and policymakers as they decide how to use public dollars.​

Below is an interactive map highlighting 12 key indicators in Montana. These county profiles make it easy for users to track data across different domains of child well-being within a local community. To download a PDF of a county profile, click the “Download the PDF” button. If you don’t see an indicator on the county profile that is of interest to your work, more county-level data is available on the KIDS COUNT Data Center. If you have difficulty locating data or information, please contact us with questions.    

Problems with a Statewide Sales Tax: Montana Needs to Help (Not Hurt) Families

MBPC is here to provide you with the facts that those in power are using to shift tax responsibility away from big
business and the wealthy and onto the backs of everyday Montanans.

Montana Children's Health Data Dashboard

The Montana Children's Health Data Dashboard highlights ten shared measures identified by early childhood health stakeholders. Stakeholders and early childhood coalitions can use these measures to track outcomes and demonstrate the impact of their work.

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Read more about the Montana Children's Health Data Partnership Project led by Health Mothers Healthy Babies, The Montana Coalition.

Montana’s Medicaid Keeps Counties Healthy

In 2015, the Legislature passed the bipartisan Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership (HELP) Act to expand Medicaid to adults living below 138 percent of the federal poverty line.  The program (also known as “Medicaid expansion”) was reauthorized in 2019. In 2025, legislators must act to ensure adult Montanans living on low incomes do not lose their access to health care.