Helena to seek voter approval for additional firefighters and police officers

The Helena City Commission has tentatively decided to ask voters next spring to approve a public safety levy that will fund additional firefighters and police officers in the city. 

During a meeting Wednesday evening, the commission settled on an election date and a levy amount after staff presented three funding options for both the fire and police departments. The commission unanimously chose to put the levy vote on the March 9 ballot.

The commission also decided by a 3-2 margin to seek $5.3 million in funding — the middle option offered by city staff — that will be enough to hire 21 additional firefighters and nine police officers. 

“I have been tempering myself a little bit because of the budget realities that everyone is facing, and thinking about what is a reasonable and achievable middle ground,” Mayor Emily Dean said during the meeting. “So I am very comfortable with [option] two.”

The mayor was joined in her preference by commissioners Sean Loogan and Julia Gustafson. 

If voters approve the levy next spring, property owners with homes valued at $300,000 would see their tax bill increase by $134 per year. Property owners with homes valued at $600,000 would have a tax increase of $310 per year. 

Commissioners Melinda Reed and Ben Rigby favored the third and most expensive funding option, saying they would rather invest in the future of public safety now, especially given Helena’s growth.

“I feel hesitant to do anything less than that because I’m worried that if we go with the more responsible choice, it’s actually going to be a little bit less than what we need,” Reed said.  

Helena’s growth and calls for service have outgrown the current capacity for both fire and police forces, according to police chief Brett Petty and former fire chief Jon Campbell, who left his position earlier this summer.

Without additional staff, Campbell said at the time, there are not enough firefighters to open and operate the third fire station, which voters approved in 2024 and is currently under construction, with completion set for next spring.

Police Chief Petty previously told the commission that the department lacks needed detectives for crash investigations and for its division that investigates violence against women, drug-related crimes and internet crimes against children.

While the commission has settled on the levy’s date and dollar amount, the city still needs to confirm the details, with a final vote scheduled in August.

This story was updated on Aug. 4, 2026, to reflect how the commission reached its decision on the amount of the levy.