Montana Speaker of the House Brandon Ler criticized an 8% tax hike in Missoula County and said the increase is evidence more property tax reform is needed in the Treasure State. Representatives of local governments, however, pushed back at the idea of further curtailing their ability to collect taxes. Municipalities account for roughly 10% to 15% of total property tax bills depending on the district and voted mills, she said. Missoula County respondsIn an email to the Daily Montanan, Missoula County Commissioners said their budget already falls under the half-the-rate-of-inflation cap set by the Montana Legislature. “Even with this limit, Missoula County has not levied the full amount of available mills for the past several years — including this year,” commissioners said.