Big taxpayers could pay less this year

Half of the top-10 taxpayers in School District 6 saw their valuation drop in the past year, with F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. and Charter Communications seeing the largest decreases.

The overall valuation of the top-10 companies dropped 3 percent in fiscal year 2014 to $6.428 million. The companies represent about 20 percent of the total valuation of the school district, which is down from about 43 percent in 1996.

As tax valuation for businesses falls, school funding is shifted to residential and other property owners, School District 6 superintendent Steve Bradshaw said.

According to figures provided by the school district, Stoltze’s valuation fell from $753,823 to $616,235, an 18 percent drop from fiscal year 2013 to fiscal year 2014.

Stoltze recently built a new boiler at its mill and received an industry abatement approved by the Flathead County Commissioners that provides companies tax relief for investments that create new jobs.

Stoltze will get an initial tax break on the new construction, and the total valuation then will increase incrementally over 10 years to its full taxable value, explained Kory Hofland, bureau chief of the Montana Department of Revenue’s business tax division.

Charter Communications saw a significant tax valuation decrease as the result of a settlement in their case against the state over its valuations of personal property statewide. Charter’s combined valuation dropped by 36 percent from $422,532 to $272,440.

Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. saw a 14 percent tax valuation decrease from $604,675 to $521,875. CFAC is considered an idle plant and will continue to depreciate over time, Hofland said. Its taxable value likely will drop even further if the smelter plant is declared a Superfund site because it will be considered permanently closed, he said.

Several companies saw increases in valuation. Plum Creek, the school district’s largest taxpayer, saw an increase in valuation of 6 percent from $2.03 million to $2.158 million. Flathead Electric Cooperative went up slightly, as did Northwest Energy and Meadow Lake Development Corp. BNSF Railway saw a 12 percent increase, and CenturyTel saw a 14 percent increase.

Top 10 taxpayers in School District 6

Plum Creek Timber Co. $2.158 million

Flathead Electric $1.070 million

F.H. Stoltze $616,235

Northwestern Energy $553,314

CFAC $521,875

BNSF Railway $483,584

Meadow Lake Development Corp. $296,290

CenturyTel $291,384

Charter Communications $272,440

Verizon $164,260