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08/14/2026
Welcome to the new Missoula This Week. I’m Katie Fairbanks, the Missoula local reporter for Montana Free Press. I’m excited to bring you the first edition of our revamped newsletter.
In this issue, we look north and talk to a Condon resident about a proposal to create Montana’s 57th county that’s gaining steam. We also have updates on the city and county budgets and a look at Mountain Line’s new project aimed at keeping buses rolling for another 50 years.
But first, your weekend weather ☀️
I’m sure many of us breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as the winds blew in and lifted most of the smoke hanging over Missoula. The storm pattern will continue Friday, bringing lower temperatures and a chance of rain and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday and Sunday will warm back up with high temperatures in the mid-80s. Take advantage of the clearer air, as early next week a southwest flow will bring a higher chance of rain but also smoke from wildfires in Washington and Oregon, according to the Montana DEQ’s smoke forecast.
Rural Missoula County residents eye creating a new county
When I saw reports that a group of residents in the Seeley-Swan area is exploring the possibility of splitting from Missoula County, I was intrigued. The concept of creating a new county seems like a relic of the past, and indeed, Montana’s 56th county, Petroleum, was created in 1925.
This discussion among rural Missoula County residents isn’t new, but it’s gained momentum recently, with a new, growing Facebook group and a feasibility study digging into the details. This week, I called Swan Valley Community Council member and Condon resident Ted Morgan (on his landline) to talk about the study and why some residents are looking to break away from Missoula County.
“We just see a lot of tax dollars going to county initiatives closer to urban areas,” he said Wednesday. “We see our tax dollars going up every year, and there’s not a marked effect on rural people.”
Residents have discussed separating from Missoula County for about 15 years, Morgan said. A group originally explored moving the Condon area into Lake County but didn’t move forward because both Missoula and Lake counties would have to vote in favor of the change, he said.
Morgan, who ran as a Republican for the state Legislature in 2024, said he and his wife are heavily involved in the community, and he took up the new county cause after hearing about it from other area residents. Morgan said a “pretty quiet” group of about 10 people has been working on the feasibility study for more than a year.
Last year, the group worked with Republican Sens. Forrest Mandeville and Becky Beard on a resolution to study how to create new counties in Montana, Morgan said. The bill passed the Senate but died in the House when the legislative session ended.
Morgan said residents also talked to the Missoula County commissioners a couple of years ago about separation options. The group explored if Condon could join Lake County and Arlee join Missoula County, but the areas’ taxable values didn’t line up, he said.
“We’re looking to work with the county, as we always are and still will be, about finding a solution that makes sense,” Morgan said.
The feasibility study proposes the new “county 57” to start west of Johnsrud Road near Potomac and continue along the Highway 200 and 83 corridors stretching through the Potomac Valley, Greenough, Seeley Lake and Condon.
Morgan said the area has seen an increase in taxable values since 2020 and includes “massive” second homes and resorts. That increase makes the new county a more realistic proposition, he said.
“Our tax base, while small, is definitely enough to run its own government,” Morgan said.
According to the feasibility study, the 6,435 parcels located in the proposed new county have an assessed taxable value of $31.13 million. That’s higher than Mineral and Powell counties, the report said.
Operating a “lean governance model,” the new county could reduce the county-level property tax burden for residents while maintaining full service levels, according to the report. The proposal calls for a county government with 18 to 20 employees working in administration, public works, law enforcement and other positions. Morgan said the county would not build its own jail, but would contract with another county to use its facility.
To move forward, the group must present a petition to the Missoula County commissioners signed by at least 50% of the registered voters of the proposed new county. If the signatures are verified, the county would hold an election.
Morgan said the group is working with lawmakers to introduce a bill in the upcoming 2027 legislative session to change the rule requiring the entire county to vote on creating a new county, calling it “undemocratic.” Residents are also working to formalize the group in the coming weeks and begin fundraising for legal resources and marketing, Morgan said. That will include sending out mailers, advertising, door knocking, meeting with business owners and holding town halls in the affected communities, he said.
“This is not coming out of animosity or hate toward Missoula County,” Morgan said. “When people take a step back and look at what’s happening, a lot of people think it makes sense.”
I also called Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero, who lives in Greenough, to get her perspective as an elected official and rural resident.
Vero told me the proposal is working through its process and “we’ll see what happens.” She said the county appreciates when residents are civically engaged and want to learn about local government.
“The best we can do is stay engaged in both directions,” she said.
Vero said while it’s easy to think the city of Missoula and urban area residents get a lot of attention, the county is spending a lot of energy in the rural areas through things like land use planning, open space projects and community grants.
“The time and effort county staff put into the rural areas, it’s not something that’s celebrated enough or talked about enough,” she said.
Vero encouraged residents to reach out to the county commissioners and staff members, sign up for newsletters and to peruse the county’s website and property tax information page.
“People are hungry for information,” she said. “When they don’t get that information, it’s easy for folks to make up their own answers.”
Meeting Minutes 📝
City Council
The Missoula City Council Monday opened the public hearing on the 2027 budget, presented by Mayor Andrea Davis in late July. On Wednesday, the council received an update on the projected tax revenue based on the certified taxable values it received from the state. Legislative changes to property tax rates mean most residents will see their city tax bills decrease, but taxes will go up on second homes and short-term rentals, said Jessica Miller, with the city’s central services department.
Owners of a median-valued home of $507,000 would see a $72 decrease in their city tax bill, and a $750,000 home would see a $250 decrease, Miller said. A non-primary home valued at $507,000 would see a $1,968 increase.
The council also discussed and voted down budget amendments proposed by council members Bob Campbell and Kristen Jordan.
Campbell proposed several budget reductions, including keeping personnel funding for certain departments at 2026 levels, cutting funding for training and managing city social media pages, cutting grants to the Missoula Economic Partnership and the Poverello Center and increasing certain fees.
Jordan proposed funding an ADA coordinator and a study evaluating an organic maintenance program for city parks. The first amendment failed, and the second will go to a vote Monday after the council receives more information on possible funding sources.
County Commission
The Missoula County commissioners Thursday adopted new impact fees for the Missoula Rural Fire District. The one-time fee charged on new construction within the fire district’s boundary will help pay for facilities and equipment needed to serve new growth, according to the impact fee study.
Missoula Rural Fire has seen an increase in calls and costs in recent years because of growth and inflation, Deputy Chief Cory Horsens told the commissioners. The fire district board saw impact fees as a way for that new growth to help pay for itself, he said.
The fees will vary depending on the type of development and size, but would be $1,554 for a 2,000-square-foot home.
What Happens Next 🗓️
Missoula City Council set to vote on 2027 budget
🗓️ Monday, Aug. 17
⏰ 6 p.m.
📍 City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St., or virtually via Microsoft Teams.
ℹ️ The council will consider Jordan’s second amendment and will likely vote on the budget. That includes specific assessments for the city’s permissive medical levy, park and road districts, the Tourism Business Improvement District and the Downtown Business Improvement District. The council will also vote on several fees.
🔗 More information about the proposed budget is available on the city’s website.
Missoula County budget review continues
🗓️ Tuesday, Aug. 18
⏰ 10 a.m.
📍Room 206, Missoula County Administration Building, 199 W. Pine St., or virtually via Microsoft Teams.
ℹ️ The county commissioners will review certified taxable values from the Montana Department of Revenue, which will inform the county’s expected revenue for the year. The board will also consider new requests. The commissioners are set to adopt the final budget Sept. 3.
🔗 Information about the proposed budget and new requests is available online.
Missoula County Public Schools trustees to discuss budget
🗓️ Tuesday, Aug. 18
⏰ 5 p.m.
📍 Boardroom, MCPS Administration Building A, 909 S. Ave. W.
ℹ️ The board of trustees is set to take public comment and vote on the school district’s 2027 budget. The district saw an increase in taxable value, meaning it will levy fewer mills to raise the same amount of money, Denise Williams, the district’s executive director of business and operations, told trustees this week.
🔗 Preliminary budget information is attached to the Aug. 11 meeting agenda. The agenda for Tuesday will be available online ahead of the meeting.
Photo Op 📸
Missoula officials gathered under the hot sun Wednesday to break ground on Mountain Line’s new maintenance, operations and administrative base on the transit agency’s 18-acre property on Whippoorwill Drive near the Missoula Montana Airport.
Jordan Hess, Mountain Line’s CEO and general manager, told the crowd the transit agency has long outgrown its current 2.2-acre facility. Drivers complete “a complicated game of Tetris” to park the buses at night, and Mountain Line can’t electrify additional buses or add to its fleet because of facility constraints, Hess said.
The new 60,000-square-foot facility will include indoor bus parking with charging infrastructure, maintenance space, administration and employee offices and solar and geothermal energy systems, Hess said.
“We’re standing on a backbone of decades of care and investment in our community,” he said. “And that’s what we’re doing today, we are further investing in the future of our community. Transit changes lives, and someone that you rely on relies on Mountain Line. And what we’re doing today is ensuring that people in the future will be able to continue to rely on Mountain Line.”
The $76 million project is primarily funded by a $39.1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low and No Emission Bus Program. Mountain Line is issuing bonds guaranteed by the Missoula Urban Transportation District’s tax revenue to fund the remainder of the project.
The Missoula Urban Transportation District was established by voters in 1976 and funds the bus service. Over the years, the transit agency has expanded to providing service seven days a week with more than 50 vehicles, Hess said. Mountain Line has also implemented a zero-fare system and swapped 90% of its fleet for electric buses, he said.
Chad Bauer, president and CEO of the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, said Mountain Line’s zero-fare model helps lower the cost of living for residents and also supports the local economy.
“A strong transit system makes it easier for businesses to recruit and retain employees, reduces absenteeism and lateness due to transportation barriers, and expands opportunities for people who might otherwise be locked out of certain jobs by the cost or complexity of commuting,” he said.
Facility construction will likely continue through late 2028.
About Town 🚶
⚾🌳 Missoula Urban Demonstration Project, better known as MUD, is holding a sustainability fair at the PaddleHeads baseball game Friday. Vendors will be set up around the stadium with activities and information about their organizations. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and first pitch is at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online.
🎶 Daisy Chain Fest is already underway, with 28 music acts performing at Free Cycles, the Zootown Arts Community Center and Monks through Sunday. The festival is put on by Daisy Chain Arts Collective, a nonprofit focused on supporting and expanding Missoula’s local music and performing arts culture. The full schedule and ticket information are available online.