Taxation meeting on Friday

State and county officials will address concern about multiple Lincoln County taxation errors during a press conference at 10 a.m. Friday in the Ponderosa Room.

“We want to get multiple sets of eyes to look through the numbers before we release everything publicly,” County Commissioner Tony Berget said. “It appears our clerk and recorder made an error with gross proceeds.”

County commissioners, County Clerk Tammy Lauer, Montana Association of Counties Executive Director Harold Blattie, previous county commissioners and representatives of the state Department of Administration are invited as well as members of the public.

Bob Denning of Kalispell’s Denning Downey & Associates, who has audited the county in the past, has been asked to review the last seven years of Lincoln County’s gross proceeds taxes. Part of the problem has been the use of problem has been the use of incorrect numbers in relation to Revett’s Troy Mine.

Lauer said her office will be busy this week preparing information and running numbers before Friday.

“We are still working to gather the numbers and get four sets of eyes on them,” Lauer said. Along with Denning, Blattie, a financial expert in Stillwater and state representatives will all review Lincoln County tax records before the press conference. Denning will not attend Friday. Tony Berget said Friday was the earliest Blattie could attend.

“We are happy he works for the counties because he really knows his stuff,” Berget said. “We are happy he is taking the time to help us in Lincoln County.”

An investigation by The Western News has revealed multiple tax-receiving districts in the county have exceeded their voter-approved limits for more than a decade. Layers of county problems have revealed a statewide gray area in tax policy.