About Time for Lolo, Montana to Secede from Missoula County

Is it about time for Lolo, Montana to secede from Missoula County?

Believe me, there are locals in Lolo that are not that loco about being part of Missoula County anymore.

Marilyn in Lolo called into our statewide radio show in the last few minutes of the 9 a.m. hour. At the very last 30 seconds of our conversation, I mentioned how city council budget discussions would be taking place in Missoula, and how City Councilmember Sandy Vasecka was encouraging more public participation.

After the show wrapped up, I talked off air a little bit with Marilyn. Wasn't there an effort to get Lolo to secede from Missoula County a while back? I asked. Oh yeah, she told me. When asked why she didn't want to be part of Missoula County by one official a while back, Marilyn said, "Because I don't like Socialism."

It's pretty crazy if you've been watching some of the headlines recently. Even though the City of Missoula and Missoula County already have some of the worst taxes in the state, both the city and the county are raising taxes again. Missoula County recently proposed a 3% hike in taxes, and the City of Missoula is raising taxes by 16%.

In Wednesday's budget meetings, Vasecka says she was hoping that the City of Missoula would cut some of their own unnecessary spending so that taxpayers stop getting hit with constant tax hikes. (Listen to her call in the 2nd half of the below podcast in the 8a hour)

So what if residents of Lolo want to escape the high taxes of Missoula County and become part of Ravalli County?

State Rep. Lyn Hellegaard (R-Missoula) actually had a bill that would allow for just that.