Voters will decide on June 7 if recreational and medical marijuana sales are taxed in Butte-Silver Bow County and whether residents should pay about $75,000 in property taxes each year to the 15-90 Search and Rescue team.
Commissioners had indicated support for putting the measures on the June primary ballot and made it official last week, approving resolutions with the precise wording of each question.
One asks if Butte-Silver Bow should impose a 3% tax on recreational marijuana sales, one asks if medical marijuana sales should be taxed at 3% and the other asks if an annual one-mill levy raising about $75,000 should go to search and rescue.
The latter question notes to voters that one mill will add $1.35 to tax bills on houses valued at $100,000 and $2.70 for homes worth $200,000. The higher the tax value, the higher the cost to taxpayers.
J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bow’s chief executive, wanted the marijuana tax measures on the ballot. They might bring in about $200,000 a year in Butte-Silver Bow based on estimates Missoula County made for its marijuana taxes.
That’s not huge revenue for a county with a $142 million budget but Gallagher says it could at least help Butte-Silver Bow address societal costs and issues regarding marijuana and addictions.
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