Missoula County Government: Missoula County Commissioners To Hold Final Budget Hearing This Week

Press release from the Missoula County Government:

08/25/2021 11:26 AM

The proposed budget includes a $6.2 million increase to expenditures over the previous year. The overall expenditure increase includes increases to the base budget to sustain current service levels from the prior fiscal year and additional funds for new programs and services. Increases to the base budget accounted for 78% of the total increase, and the other 22% will fund new programs and services. 

In response to public comment after the preliminary budget hearing and to partially replace revenue from the gas tax, which the Legislature repealed earlier this year, the latest version of the budget includes an additional $110,000 of new funding for County road projects. The commissioners also added funding for another 1.5 FTEs overall in the Motor Vehicle Division to help ease the workload in that office, which processes vehicle titles, registrations and registration renewals.

If the commissioners adopt the proposed final budget, property taxes on a $350,000 home within City of Missoula limits would remain flat, and a $350,000 home outside the city limits would increase by $10.11 annually. For county residents outside the City of Missoula, the increase is driven by the increase for County road projects, the first increase in property tax revenue for County roads since fiscal year 2019, and increased wages and operational costs for the County’s share of health department and animal control services.

It’s important to note that the state Department of Revenue issued reappraised property values this year, and taxable values in Missoula County increased by an average of about 15%. This growth will help the County cover the increasing costs of services, but individual property owners will likely see a larger overall tax increase on their next tax bill based on the increased value of their property. For a detailed description of this process watch https://youtu.be/95DZ4ARIq6g. 

Increases to wages and other personnel costs for the County’s 855 FTEs across 30 departments that provide essential government services account for much of the base budget increase. About 85% of Missoula County’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements, and the County negotiates those agreements in good faith each year. The County also saw a 3% increase in employee healthcare expenses over the last year and must budget for that increase going forward.

Other factors contributing to the base budget increase include Missoula County reaching its goal of paying a minimum starting wage of $15 an hour to all permanent employees, as well as an increase in the wage rate for deputy sheriffs and Detention Facility officers, which aims to increase retention and reduce overtime paid due to staff shortages.

Beyond the increase to the base budget, the commissioners also received dozens of requests from County departments for new funding, and they declined to fund $2.6 million in new spending.  

The public is encouraged to review the proposed final budget online at missoula.co/budgets and submit their feedback by emailing bcc@missoulacounty.us or leaving a voicemail for the commissioners at 406-258-4877. Residents can also comment at public meetings, which are listed online at missoula.co/bccmeetings.   

Following Thursday’s hearing, the commissioners will consider any additional public comment before voting to adopt the final budget during their administrative meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9. 

Media can contact Chief Financial Officer Andrew Czorny at 406-258-4919 or aczorny@missoulacounty.us with additional questions about the proposed budget.

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This press release was produced by the Missoula County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.