05/06/2024
Helena leaders acknowledge that residents are universally concerned about rising property taxes but say that the city’s budget needs have their backs against the wall as they ask voters to approve school and public safety levies.
Residents will vote this spring on a public safety mill levy and bond and, on a separate ballot, will decide whether to tax themselves with five additional technology, operational and security levies requested by the school district.
“The need is high, the need is dire, and I would pray that the citizenry will see that we need this,” Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins told Montana Free Press. “This is not for bluff. This is safety. This will determine the safety of our community, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
The public safety levies would fund the salaries and equipment for nine police officers and 15 firefighters. The bond would pay for the construction of a third fire station and training facility.
Public officials said that Helena has put off adding the officers and firefighters for too long.
“Property taxes right now are affecting everyone. We understand the burden that it’s causing. We are all taxpayers, that’s why I think we’re leaving it up to the voters,” Helena Police Chief Brett Petty told MTFP. “We want them to make an educational vote, and it’s based on their needs.”
Past city presentations have shown that Helena’s city limits have grown almost three square miles and seen an increase in population of about 9,000 people in the past 20 years. Emergency officials said that calls for help take longer to respond to than average, specifically on the north side of the railroad tracks where the proposed third fire station would be located.
“We understand that there is never a great time to come asking for money,” Fire Chief Jon Campbell said during a recent public meeting. “We’re trying to ask that question as responsibly as we can.”
According to city officials, if the mill levy for the additional officers and firefighters passes, taxes on a home valued at $300,000 would increase by $128 per year, while a $600,000 home would see a tax increase of $256. If the 20-year bond for the fire station passes, property taxes for a home valued at $300,000 would increase by about $23 in the first year and $46 in the first year for a $600,000 home.
While the city mill levy and bond vote aren’t until June 4, the deadline to turn in ballots for the school district’s levies is Tuesday, May 7. Ballots were sent out in April.
Helena school officials said earlier this year that the district is facing about a $3 million budget shortfall. The district is asking Helenans to vote on two safety and security levies, two technology levies and an elementary operational levy.
“We’re at a point where there really isn’t, from our perspective, much more that can be done without raising some money,” School Board Trustee Chairperson Siobhan Hathhorn told MTFP. “And as you know about school funding, there’s caps on what we get from the state and the rest of it comes from local sources.”
If the five levies pass it could alleviate the district budget strain and help retain school staff, save student programs and keep some schools from closing.
“I feel, and I think the whole community feels like Helena has always valued their public schools,” Hathhorn said. “Helena is just really proud of its schools and has always supported them. So we would like to continue that level of education, and we’re going to need more funding in order to do that.”
If voters decide to pass all five levies, taxes on a home valued at $300,000 would increase by about $332 a year, and the owner of a $600,000 home would pay an additional $664 a year.
Public Notice
BID Parking: Helenans will have another chance to discuss downtown parking solutions at a meeting hosted by city staff and the Business Improvement District on Wednesday, May 8, at 10 a.m., in the City-County Building, 316 N. Park Ave.
During the last city commission meeting on April 22, commissioners listed some recommendations for downtown parking, including angled parking spaces on Cruse Avenue and potentially decreasing permit fees for area employees.
City officials are expected to be in attendance during Wednesday’s meeting.
HCC recommendations: The Helena Citizens Council will present recommendations to the city commission at their next meeting on Monday, May 6.
The Citizen Council recommendations will include its input on the Business Improvement District’s public downtown restroom project, its recommendations for the city’s solid waste management plan and the council’s list of priorities.
The city is accepting public comments on the solid waste management plan until May 30. Anyone wanting to add their feedback can visit the city’s management plan’s website.
5 Things to Know in Helena
City staff pay raises: As the city of Helena approaches the end of one fiscal year and prepares for another, city departments have begun budget presentations to the city commission. During an administrative meeting on May 1, city finance director Sheila Danielson asked the commission for direction on how much of a pay raise city staff would get as a cost-of-living adjustment in the 2025 fiscal year. The commission tentatively decided on a 3.5% increase, which would cost the city about $899,000 a year. The commission hasn’t yet made a final decision on the proposed raises.
Trouble at the fire tower: The city had plans to restore Helena’s iconic fire tower by this August for the 150th anniversary of the tower’s reconstruction following a fire in 1874. However, contract negotiations have stalled the project’s progress. City officials told the commission at a meeting on May 1 that the Vermont firm selected for the work last year now has an issue with the initial agreement. Representatives from Helena’s Heritage, Preservation & Tourism Council attended the meeting and spoke on the importance of the tower’s restoration, saying it’s the symbol of the city. The project will be discussed at a future meeting.
Kindrick Field donation: The American Legion’s baseball program requested permission from the city to install artificial turf at Helena’s Kindrick Baseball Field. The American Legion will pay for the upgrade to the field, estimated to cost between $200,000 and $250,000. The Legion and the city have an agreement for the Legion to use the field for games and practices. The city attempted to raise funds for the field in the past but without success.
Teachers drink for free: Blackfoot River Brewing Company will offer a free first beer to educators during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-11. The brewery, 66 S. Park Ave., has 13 beers on tap, with some non-alcoholic options. For more information on the week-long event, visit the brewery’s website or call (406) 449-3005.
MHS May lecture series: The Montana Historical Society hosts monthly programs and lectures about the state’s history and culture. During May, the lecture series will focus on the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, which was officially enacted by Congress on June 2, 1924, with various Indigenous speakers. On Thursday, May 9, Kekek Stark, professor and director of the University of Montana’s Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic, will present “Tribal Sovereignty and Citizenship: One Hundred Years of the Indian Citizenship Act,” at Helena College, beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the lecture series, visit the historical society’s website.
3 Questions For
Earlier this month, Las Vegas hosted the annual World Beer Cup where brewers from around the world compete in more than 100 categories. This year, two Helena breweries fared well: Copper Furrow Brewery’s Tmavé beer won a bronze medal in the international dark lager category; Miner’s Gold from the Lewis and Clark Brewing Company won a gold medal in the American wheat beer category. Lewis and Clark’s operations director, Mike Scott, who attended the competition, spoke with MTFP about the win, the overall competition and what makes Miner’s Gold, golden. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.
MTFP: What is the World Beer Cup and what was your experience attending?
Scott: The World Beer Cup is hosted annually. It’s the largest and most prestigious beer competition in the world. This year, there were over 9,000 entries. I can’t even remember how many different categories, but we entered Miner’s Gold as an American-style wheat beer. I can’t even remember how many times it’s won medals at the World Beer Cup, but this is its second gold medal.
So it’s not only the World Beer Cup, but there’s also a bunch of seminars and a giant trade show. Not everybody that enters beer comes to that actual award ceremony, unfortunately, but I think there were over 5,000 people in attendance just in the crowd that night. It’s such a big deal to win these awards that people get really, really excited and seeing, not only getting that excitement for yourself when you win one but seeing your friends, watching Copper Furrow and the excitement when they won.
We’re a pretty close-knit community. Even though we’re competitors, we still enjoy hanging out with our colleagues. It’s a room full of the best brewers in the world. So, it’s a fun group of people. This industry is 99% fun people.
MTFP: Can you describe Miner’s Gold?
Scott: It’s an American-style wheat beer, which doesn’t have the banana, clove-y characters that German-style wheat beers are known for. While they’re a benchmark of the German style, I think the absence of those in an American-style wheat beer makes a really approachable beer, and you can taste the wheat. It’s very prevalent. And the way the wheat reacts with the yeast, we get a really nice kind of grapey, cereal grain type thing going on that’s just very, very pleasant. The beer’s cloudy, and it should be cloudy. For all of our other beers, we work real hard to keep them clear, but that one is served with the yeast still in suspension.
MTFP: Who do you attribute the win to?
Scott: My team here, I think is the best in the industry, and I would put them head-to-head against any brewing team anywhere. I couldn’t do it without them. From grain to glass, everybody’s involved in the process. From brewing all the way through packaging and warehousing, they all have a part to play, not only in the quality but making sure that this business runs effectively because, at the end of the day, I’d love to give it all away, but we are a business at the end of the day.
Comings and Goings
Coming: The soup and sandwich restaurant chain Panera Bread will open soon in Helena at 1660 Vandelay Ave., according to a city permit. The business recently began construction that will be led by Langlas and Associates. The permit places the value of the construction at $2.9 million.
Eye on Helena
The Helena High School marching band, Last Chance Tour train and a float depicting the Mann Gulch Fire were just a few entries during the 100th annual Vigilante Parade on Friday, May 3, 2024. Credit: JoVonne Wagner / MTFP
“Helena This Week” is reported and written By JoVonne Wagner. Send your Helena news and tips to [email protected].
