Solving problems together

What a glorious September we had: sunshine, minimal smoke and still a busy economy. I recently had a lovely visit with Grace at Mission Mountain Mercantile and Nathan, wearing his hat as chair of the Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce. I appreciate their time and dedication to our community.

If I haven't reached out to you yet and you have something to share, please call me and let's set up a time to visit! Government is here to help, not hold you back with red tape and taxes.

Okay, speaking of taxes (don't run away dear reader, I'll try to make this interesting!). I'm on the taxation committee and it is actually fascinating. I find most people are willing to pay their fair share in order to have safe roads, first responders and law enforcement and strong schools. Taxes are critical to these services and also help us incentivize business growth and support families.

The revenue interim committee met recently to explore new ways to ensure the tax system in Montana is fair. We are taking a deep dive into property taxes to make sure that people can afford to stay in their homes and poor people are not getting taxed out of basic needs. I'm grateful to Missoula County for their continued work on an extensive housing plan for the county, look for the release of that report and those plans soon.

It really is an honor to represent you in state government. As I've mentioned before, I can't do this alone. I encourage you to reach out to me via email at shannonformontana@gmail.com or on my cell at 406-274-3805 to let me know what you think about whatever issues are on your mind, and I appreciate those of you who have previously called or emailed. We, the people, are all a part of the solution.