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10/27/2025
City to appoint new TIF committee
Great Falls officials will establish a “super TIF” advisory committee in accordance with a new state law, though with concerns that it adds an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
The committee will have up to seven members to review and recommend funding proposals for the city’s five tax increment financing (TIF) districts. Those districts were set up by the city government to jump-start development as the TIF structure captures increases in tax revenue to pay off capital expenses and fund improvements specifically for each district.
An example perhaps most known to Great Falls residents is the West Bank commercial district, which was developed with the help of the funding mechanism.
The city’s five TIF districts are the Downtown Urban Renewal District, the West Bank Urban Renewal District, the East Industrial Park District, the Central Montana Agri-Tech Park Industrial District and the Great Falls International Airport Industrial District.
Great Falls city commissioners approved the creation of the super TIF committee on Oct. 21, with Commissioner Joe McKenney summing up a primary concern.
“Are we adding red tape?” he asked.
A committee of some kind was required by Senate Bill 3. The bill was sponsored by Great Falls state Sen. Jeremy Trebas and was passed by the 2025 Montana Legislature.
Trebas told Montana Free Press Thursday that the bill’s main goal was to bring school district and county representation into discussions because some tax revenue captured in the TIF districts would otherwise go to those entities.
“It was always meant to be like giving a formal voice to the county and the school districts when it comes to the city,” Trebas said.
City administrators looked at several options for TIF oversight. Previously, the Downtown Development Partnership was the recommending body for TIF requests related to the downtown area. All other TIF recommendations were reviewed by the Planning Advisory Committee before going to the city commission for final approval. The city considered appointing one of those groups as the acting TIF committee but found that those presented logistical hurdles. For example, appointing the planning committee to approve downtown TIF requests could unnecessarily exclude the Downtown Development Partnership. Furthermore, in that scenario, the city would have to add a county and school representative to its planning board.
In addition, the city sought to avoid appointing members of the Downtown Development Partnership, which would be required under the new law if DDP were designated as the TIF advisory committee. Currently, DDP membership is made up of representation from permanent stakeholder institutions and four at-large members selected by DDP.
“The city is a colleague [of DDP],” Great Falls Planning and Community Development Director Brock Cherry told commissions on Oct. 21. “We are an associate to that group. By the city [hypothetically] appointing, now they are a subsidiary, and it changes the dynamics.”
Cherry said that the super TIF committee will allow applicants who already serve on other city boards and committees. The committee must include representatives from Cascade County and Great Falls Public Schools as the other area taxing jurisdictions.
Sherrie Arey, executive director of NeighborWorks Great Falls and a member of the Downtown Development Partnership, said at the meeting that she hoped the DDP would continue to be informed about TIF funding proposals, as the group had been reviewing those for years. City documents said that groups like the DDP and the Airport Authority Board should expect to be informed of proposals and invited to lend input.
The city is now seeking applicants for the Super TIF Advisory Committee. The deadline to apply is Nov. 14.
“My hope is that we’re going to have a diverse group of applicants that reflect the collective TIF interest in our community,” Cherry said Oct. 21.
Foreclosure request hits Rocky Mountain Building
Sletten Construction has asked a judge to force the sale of the vacant Rocky Mountain Building in Great Falls. The move could seal the fate of the building, which has been in limbo for years.
Sletten was the primary construction contractor for the renovation of the building, a project of Alluvion Health. Construction ceased in 2023 due to financial struggles for the health system. Sletten filed a construction lien against the building, claiming it is owed $3.4 million for its work.
The foreclosure request comes from a lawsuit filed by a subcontractor, steel supplier William Kronmiller and Co., which said it has yet to be paid $753,102 for previous work. Kronmiller filed the lawsuit in September, naming Sletten as a defendant. Alluvion Health is also a defendant in the case.
In October, Sletten filed a cross-claim against Alluvion and asked for a judge’s ruling to compel a sale to satisfy Sletten’s lien. Alluvion’s legal name is Community Health Care Center, Inc.
“Sletten requests judgment against Community Health for the unpaid amount of its construction lien, together with attorney fees, costs, and interest, and by this action seeks to foreclose the construction lien and payment of such amounts due and owing Sletten,” the construction company’s attorneys wrote in court documents.
A spokesperson for Alluvion declined to comment.
The Rocky Mountain Building, at Sixth Street and Central Avenue, has been listed for sale for over a year. It was listed for $3.2 million but now shows an asking price of $1.75 million.
5 Things to Know in Great Falls
A Great Falls off-road rally team took fourth place in the 4×4 class for the 2025 Rebelle Rally earlier this month. Cara Carlson and Tobi Hlavnicka pushed their Ford Bronco more than 1,500 miles over mountainous terrain and rainy conditions. The team won the Pennzoil Challenge award for being the top privateer team, meaning they aren’t sponsored by a vehicle manufacturer. Read more about Team Raptor Rex here.
The Great Falls Symphony Association is hosting a free Halloween-themed family concert Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. The performance will be conducted by Music Director Emeritus Maestro Gordon Johnson and is scheduled to take place right after the downtown trick-or-treat event. The symphony program will include Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” and a cello solo rendition of “Paint it Black.” The program also includes special performances from Miss Linda’s School of Dance. The event is at the Mansfield Theater. Tickets can be reserved here.
Happy Halloween! Visit Great Falls has a thorough list of community activities and events for the spooky holiday, which falls on a Friday this year.
Calumet Montana Refining has settled a multi-year tax protest with the Montana Department of Revenue. The settlement pertains to the refinery’s value for the 2022 through 2024 tax years, resulting in an estimated $1.4 million refund to Calumet, according to the company.
Road closures are in effect at 13th Street Northwest for a water main replacement project. The closure began Oct. 23, according to the city, and affects the roadway between Third Avenue Northwest and First Avenue Northwest. The closur
