Newest First
By nwmontana on 01-02-13 @ 1:17 pm
Is this another 28,000 acres that goes off of the property tax roles in Lincoln County? If so, this is not such a great deal for the people in Lincoln County. Something like 80 percent of the land
in Lincoln County is already under Federal ownership and control. They do nothing to manage
it anymore in a way that would provide jobs and every few years they threaten to take the
Payment In Lieu of Taxes money away. Is this just another squeeze put on Lincoln County by
the FEDS?
By randybeacham on 01-18-13 @ 4:46 pm
Well the article clearly states that “Stimson will continue to own the land but can’t sell itoff for subdivisions.” Since Stimson still owns title to the land I would naturally assume that
they will still be paying taxes on that land. Plus the land will still be providing jobs for
workers who will of course be paying income taxes, unlike if the land was subdivided. Now I
suppose it could be argued that future tax revenues would be reduced since there would probably
be more revenue in subdivisions with homes on them, yet the flip side to that in my opinion is
that subdivision devlepments in rural areas of Lincoln County like where I live tend to raise
property values as people from out of state who are used to higher land prices purchase lots, to
the point that local people have a hard time buying land or paying taxes on land they already
own. Throw in the fact that we can keep hunting and recreating on these lands and I agree with
the comment in the article that it is a win/win situation for those of us who live here.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.