Polson hosting resort tax forums

The city of Polson has scheduled a series of public forums leading up to the Feb. 2 special election on a proposed resort tax that would fund improvements to the city’s streets.

The forums will include an informational presentation and an opportunity for attendees to submit questions to city staff.

The next forum, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, will be conducted remotely via Zoom. A link to the meeting will be provided at the city’s website, cityofpolson.com.

The Polson City Commission voted unanimously Oct. 5 to send the resort tax proposal to voters. If approved, the measure would put in place a 3% tax on select luxury retail items and services for 20 years beginning July 1. It would return 3% of funds collected to vendors with 97% going to the city. Of that 97%, 17% would go toward property tax relief, 80% would go toward city street improvements and 3% would be allocated to administrative costs.

City Manager Ed Meece has been meeting with various community, business and neighborhood groups in an effort to explain how the tax would work and answer questions. Those seeking to schedule a group meeting may contact Meece at citymanager@cityofpolson.com or 406-883-8207.

A Resort Tax Initiative tab recently was added to the city’s website. It includes links to more information on the forums, a Frequently Asked Questions section and a comprehensive Resort Tax Proposal Presentation.

Public forums also are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15 and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19. The exact format for those forums — whether remote or in-person — has yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.