What It Costs
Estimated annual property-tax impact
The estimated additional annual property taxes that would be imposed are:
| Residential market value | Annual increase | Monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $7.65 | $0.64 |
| $300,000 | $22.96 | $1.91 |
| $600,000 | $49.05 | $4.09 |
Monthly equivalents are annual estimates divided by 12 and are provided only as a budgeting reference. An increase in property taxes may lead to an increase in rental costs.
These estimates assume an owner-occupied primary residence. Under Montana’s 2026 homestead tax rates, primary residences and long-term rentals are taxed at 0.76% on the first $378,000 of market value and 0.90% on value above that (up to $1.5 million). Second homes, vacation properties, and short-term rentals are taxed at a flat 1.9% rate and pay more for the same market value — for example, a $600,000 non-homestead property would pay approximately $115 per year for this levy, compared with $49.05 for a $600,000 primary residence.
The dollar amount is fixed; the mill figure is an estimate. The levy authorizes approximately $150,000 per year. The 10.07-mill estimate is based on the district’s 2026 certified taxable valuation ($14,894,574) and will vary from year to year as taxable valuation changes — if valuation rises, the mills (and each property’s share) go down, and vice versa. The total collected stays the same.
District school levies just went down substantially. Under a 2025 state law (House Bill 156), most non-voted school levies are now collected countywide rather than district-by-district, spreading those costs across all of Flathead County’s tax base instead of only this district’s. As a result, Swan River’s total district levies fell from 38.88 mills in 2025–26 to 5.91 mills in 2026–27 — the district general fund levy alone dropped from 26.92 mills to 3.47. If this levy is approved, total district levies of approximately 16 mills would remain well below last year’s level. Countywide school levies appear separately on tax bills and apply to all property in Flathead County.
How does this compare with the gymnasium bond that was just paid off?
For 20 years, district property owners paid debt service on the 2005 gymnasium bond, which the district paid off in July 2025. In its final year, the bond levied $88,906 district-wide; this levy would collect approximately $150,000 per year. For a typical primary residence, however, this levy costs less than the bond did: under the tax rates then in effect, a $300,000 home paid approximately $34 per year for the bond, compared with an estimated $22.96 per year for this levy. The difference reflects 2026 state property-tax changes that shifted more of the tax base to second homes and short-term rentals; exact comparisons vary by property.