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11/06/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
SNAP recipients may see benefits this month, but unclear when
The Missoula Food Bank and Community Center has seen a 25% increase in customers compared to last month, after thousands of Missoula residents did not receive federal food assistance on Nov. 1.
Amy Allison, the organization’s executive director, said the food bank has been “extremely” busy this week serving hundreds of additional households, and she encouraged people in need to stop by.
“For people who need support, we want them to know we work to provide a stigma-free, dignified space,” she said.
Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits may receive some financial aid this month, but it might not be the full amount, and the timing of its arrival is unclear, according to a letter issued by the state.
After federal courts ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to use emergency funds to backfill the SNAP program during the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a memo this week to states outlining SNAP allotments for November. Guidance updated on Nov. 6 states that the maximum allocation for households will be 65% of the typical amount, up from the 50% initially announced Nov. 4. On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the administration to fully fund SNAP benefits for November.
The Missoula Food Bank is “preparing for the worst” and operating under the assumption SNAP benefits won’t come in before the end of the month, Allison said.
“We’re ready for the community to come as much as they need to,” she said. “We hope SNAP benefits show up by the end of the month.”
To help handle the increased demand, the Missoula Food Bank temporarily switched from a “shopping” model to distributing pre-packaged bags with perishable and non-perishable items to ensure everyone gets the food they need, Allison said. The bags include a different number of items based on household size. Customers can also pick out bread and meat as needed. A “no thank you” shelf outside the front door allows customers to return items they won’t use, ensuring nothing goes to waste, Allison said.
The food bank makes sure people have staples, but the amount of food each household receives can vary depending on the organization’s inventory, Allison said. The food bank purchases some food and receives items from donations, grocery stores and from a federal program cut earlier this year.
Customers can come in once a week, but, “it’s not enough food to cover a family’s entire week,” Allison said.
Last month, about 2,900 food bank customers also accessed SNAP benefits, Allison said. With about 8,000 Missoula County residents not receiving their benefits Nov. 1, many households that don’t typically visit the food bank have come in this week, she said. The food bank has seen an additional 85 households daily on top of its 350 daily average, Allison said.
The food bank increased volunteer shifts and pulled staff off non-essential tasks to help at the front desk and in the store, Allison said.
“It’s like a beehive in here all the time,” she said.
The food bank has received food and financial donations in the past week, Allison said. While many donations have included canned food and other shelf-stable items, the food bank needs donations of protein, dairy and items to help round out meals, such as cooking oil and spices, she said. The organization also needs donations for turkey dinner supplies it will hand out Nov. 23, including turkeys, stuffing, green beans and similar items, Allison said.
The food bank is also gearing up for the “Can the Cats” food drive, which kicks off Nov. 8. The annual competition between the University of Montana and Montana State University continues through the end of the first quarter of the Griz-Cat football game in Missoula Nov. 22. Donations benefit the UM Pantry and the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center.
Community members can donate nonperishable food items at collection sites across Missoula or make financial contributions online at www.canthecats.com. Every dollar donated counts as one pound of food toward the competition total.
During a “Stuff the Bus” event Saturday, Nov. 15, volunteers will collect donations at 10 Missoula grocery stores. Other community events will take place throughout the two-week competition, with details shared online and on UM and Missoula Food Bank social media pages.
New law requiring a voter’s birth year on ballots increased rejections
While the final, unofficial results in the municipal general election were released just before midnight Tuesday, Missoula elections officials will work through Monday to process corrections to rejected ballots.
More than 37,900 voters cast ballots in the election, which included a countywide infrastructure levy, as well as Missoula mayor and city council races.
Missoula County recorded 1,089 rejected ballots throughout the election, with 486 unresolved as of Wednesday. Nearly two-thirds, 694, did not include the voter’s birth year, a new requirement this election. Of the total, 45 included the wrong birth date, 143 had a mismatched signature, 132 had no signature and 52 had signatures swapped between household members. In 2023, 60 ballots were rejected throughout the entire election, Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said previously.
Voters had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to correct their challenged ballot at the elections office or by mail. Any ballots postmarked by 5 p.m. Wednesday and verified by 3 p.m. Monday will be counted, according to state law.
The ballot rejection rate decreased throughout the election from about 5% to 2.9%, said Nathan Coyan, Missoula County’s deputy elections administrator.
“As the election went on, we implemented more of an outreach campaign that we hadn’t really anticipated too much of a need for at first,” he said. “It was successful because we saw rates drop over time.”
Election staff and volunteers reminded voters dropping ballots off at eight locations throughout the county to include their signature and birth year, Coyan said.
“That was successful here at the office because before we were doing it, we would get a little stack missing the date in the [drop] box every time it got collected,” he said. “We went from that down to about one every time.”
Those efforts were not 100% effective, as they couldn’t catch people mailing ballots in, Coyan said. If the birth year rule, which is being legally challenged as unconstitutional, remains in place by the next election, the Missoula County Elections Office will likely make improvements to help reduce the number of rejected ballots, Coyan said.
Missoula County saw a 48.4% ballot return rate, which was consistent with past municipal general elections, Coyan said. Even with the countywide levy increasing the number of ballots sent, the turnout remained on average, he said.
“Missoula County is pretty up on things,” Coyan said. “People steadily turn out.”
5 Things to Know in Missoula
NeighborWorks Montana’s “HomeStretch” down payment assistance program opened to applicants in 22 counties, including Missoula, this week. The program stems from a2023 law, which allowed counties to opt into a Community Reinvestment Organization to release funding set aside by the Legislature for workforce housing. Through the program, homebuyers making 60% to 140% of the area median income and working with participating mortgage lenders will be eligible to receive assistance of up to 30% of the purchase price. The program caps the equity the owner can get when selling the home. The funding from the state is one-time, but the program will replenish itself as homes are sold, Hanna Tester, NeighborWorks Montana’s homeownership director, told Missoula County commissioners Tuesday. After the state reallocated funding from counties that didn’t opt in to the program, Missoula County ended up with just over $17 million from state and matching funds, she said. The program received its first Missoula County application on Monday, and that borrower is set to close on their house by Thanksgiving, Tester said. More information on the program is available online.
The Missoula County commissioners Oct. 30 appointed Lester Bracey as interim auditor to fill the remainder of Auditor Dave Wall’s term. Wall, the county’s auditor since 2017, is set to retire on Dec. 19. His term runs through 2026. Bracey has served as assistant auditor since 2021. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Montana and has more than 30 years of experience in budget control and quality assurance. The auditor examines and investigates claims presented to the county for payment, manages the county’s procurement process and develops policies as needed. Bracey will begin his new role Dec. 22 and earn $105,726 annually. He will need to run in the general election in 2026 to continue as auditor.
On Thursday, the Missoula County commissioners approved spending $348,235 for an industrial generator to power the county’s new $2.4 million gravel crusher. The new equipment replaces a crusher from the 1950s and a generator from the 1970s, said Erik Dickson, a county engineer. The new crusher will decrease the cost of crushing material from approximately $5 per ton to $1 per ton, according to the county. The money for the generator was included in the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget, Dickson said.
Throughout November, donations of non-perishable food can be used to help pay outstanding parking tickets at the Missoula Parking Commission. Each item will count for $2 off the balance, with up to $20 or 10 items accepted. The food will be donated to the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center. Donors are asked to ensure the items are not opened, damaged or expired. People with outstanding citations can bring donations to the parking commission office at 128 W. Main St. through Nov. 28, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The office will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27, for Thanksgiving. People can view outstanding tickets by entering a license plate number at www.ci.missoula.mt.us/tickets.
Missoula street maintenance crews began leaf collection this week and plan to complete work by Dec. 1. Residents should rake leaves into the street and against the curb before their scheduled pickup day, but no more than two to three days in advance. Leaf piles should be long and narrow and not include other yard waste. Residents should ensure leaves do not block any stormwater inlets. A schedule and collection map are available on the city’s website. Residential customers who missed their collection window can drop off leaves at Garden City Compost this month at no charge. Leaves only, no yard waste. Paper lawn bags are acceptable, but leaves bagged in plastic will have to be emptied.
Happenings
Several events are planned for Friday as part of Indigenizing Downtown, an Indigenous-led collaboration between the Indigen-Unity Committee facilitated by the Jeanette Rankin Peace Center, Zootown Arts Community Center, Missoula Art Museum and the Missoula Public Library. The project invites downtown organizations and businesses to open their doors, break barriers and create space where Indigenous community members can thrive, according to organizers.
Friday begins with a smudging ceremony starting at 4 p.m. at the Missoula Public Library, followed by a procession through downtown to the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center. At 4:30 p.m., an Indigenous awareness walk will depart from the peace center to the ZACC, where the “Indigenizing the ZACC” event features speakers, an Indigenous makers market, art, drumming, round dance and the Fat Baby Frybread food truck. A list of Indigenizing Downtown events scheduled throughout November is available online.
All are invited to a Neighborhood Resiliency Day and Harvest Party Sunday, Nov. 9, at Free Cycles that includes group workshops, a resource fair, potluck and live music. Workshops run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The resource fair and potluck run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by live music from The Pettifoggers and st1cksnstones from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The resource fair will include a food drive for Missoula Community Free Fridges.
Suggested donations are $5 per workshop and $10 for live music, with no one turned away due to lack of funds. Donations support Front Step Community Land Trust, Missoula Tenants Union, Seedlings 4 Solidarity and other groups. Those interested are asked to RSVP online to sign up for workshops and the potluck.