Big Sky seeking workforce housing relief on two fronts in May 6 election.
The school district and the community housing trust are both offering bond issues to voters.
Big Sky is on the offensive with regards to providing workforce housing and will push two bond issues out as part of the May 6 election. The school district is seeking a general fund levy that will provide funds that can be used for teacher housing. The Big Sky Community Housing Trust (BSCHT) is seeking a bond against the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) that will allow them to borrow money to pay for land and infrastructure on the Cold Smoke development project.
“We’re working to bond against the resort tax income,” said BSCHT executive director David O’Connor. “That will ensure the visitors to Big Sky who are creating the need for workforce housing pay for it without a property tax burden.”
In other communities where a county or municipality can donate land to affordable housing projects, a bond would not be required, but because Big Sky is young as a community it does not have the land available to donate according to O’Connor. That is why they are proposing to borrow against the resort tax in order to purchase land and infrastructure.
The Cold Smoke development is scheduled to provide 400 residences that will be 100% reserved for workforce housing. Two hundred sixty-four of those residents are scheduled to be apartments and 125 will be single family homes offered at below market value prices based on the income range of the workforce being provided for.
If the bond passes the Cold Smoke project will roll out in three phases with the first units tentatively scheduled to be available for occupancy in 2028.
The Big Sky School District is seeking a general levy which will pull from $300,000 in perpetuity from property tax revenues, rather than resort tax revenues, to provide funds that can be used to support teacher housing efforts.
“This will raise taxes, but not very much,” joked Dustin Shipman, the superintendent of Big Sky School District (BSSD) at the Explore Big Sky Ballots and Brews event on April 1.
“The trustees never want to go to the ballot with something that is going to raise taxes unless it is going to have a direct impact on our students and teachers,” he explained.
“We’re asking the voters to approve $300,000 a year in perpetuity exclusively for teacher and staff housing,” he stated.
The project will help fund cabins being added to their current housing plan. In the future the funds are projected to be used for rental assistance and helping staff who would like to buy a home with down payment assistance.
According to Shipman the tax levy will cost about $10 a month on a $3 million home. The bond is dependent on the passage of HB 252, known as the STARS act that will allow the district the flexibility to collect the additional levy.
Mail in ballots will be sent out April 16 and must be returned by May 6 to be counted.