During the Cascade County Commissioners’ public meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, an 80% tax abatement was approved for Calumet Montana Refining.
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In a 2023 legislative change, the county commissioners are required to approve the tax abatement; however, it is up to them to decide if they approve 100%, 90% or 80%.
The City of Great Falls, as well as several Cascade County residents, urged the county to approve only the minimum amount of 80%.
Philip Murphy with Calumet Montana Refining said, “To clarify, this is just for the Calumet Montana Refining, the big crude oil operations in Great Falls. So the new investment of manufacturing property placed in service during 2024 or the tax year of 2025.”
“This new property is going to create new investment and, you know, has an economic multiplier effect in the Great Falls community. As well as I think the piece that’s being ignored, is that this is generating new tax revenue for the city and the county,” said Murphy.
In a letter addressed to the commissioners, the City of Great Falls urged the commissioners to approve the abatement at the minimum reduction of 80%
Trista Besich, the Cascade County finance officer, read a letter from the city addressed to the county commissioners.
“A significant reduction in taxable value from Calumet’s expansion would negatively impact public safety funding, which is heavily reliant on property tax revenues. City of Great Falls depends on these revenues to support law enforcement, fire protection and emergency response services,” Besich read.
Commissioner Joe Briggs said the abatement request has nothing to do with the planned expansion and relates only to the equipment that has already been installed over the last year.
With the 80% tax abatement, Calumet’s tax liability is reduced to $23,872 dollars instead of what it would have been at almost $119,362.
The county will collect $3,958 in property taxes for the 2025 tax year.
