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8/24/2026
Good Monday morning to you. I’m Matt, your local reporter in Great Falls for Montana Free Press. In my line of work, phrasing is everything. Reporters are constantly trying to make sure their writing avoids unnecessary double meanings or misunderstandings. So when a local organization announced it had completed a poll to gauge interest in a potential public safety levy, I knew I wanted to see how the questions were constructed. How did that go? Find out below.
But first… heads up, Great Falls
Here’s a friendly reminder for anyone wondering why the Missouri River looks so low. NorthWestern Energy used the power of its dams to draw down the river levels so crews could work on the upstream side of Black Eagle Dam. Those upgrades have been in progress for a couple years now on the downstream side. The drawdown should continue until mid-September.
‘We can’t afford to fail,’ says group backing future public safety levy
A group called Electric City Citizens for Public Safety has emerged to advocate for a future public safety levy in Great Falls. The effort is a reset of sorts after voters rejected a public safety levy and bond request in 2023.
“We never really asked the community what it would support before we brought it forward,” Joe McKenney, a Great Falls city commissioner and member of the new group, said at a commission meeting last week.
Now, Electric City Citizens for Public Safety has raised enough money to commission a poll. Group chair Shane Etzwiler shared initial results from that poll during a commission work session last week. It showed 55% of likely voters saying “yes” to a future public safety levy request.
The margin of error, 4.6%, makes approval less than definitive. Etzwiler said that the contracted pollster, Lake Research Partners, would like to see approval in the neighborhood of 65% at this stage. The initial poll results also showed overwhelming support for the city’s public safety departments.
The goal of Electric City Citizens for Public Safety is to move those “maybe” voters into the “yes” column.
“We can’t afford to fail,” Etzwiler said. “And failure is not an option.”
The group declined MTFP’s request to see the actual poll questions. In a text message, McKenney said they consider the questions “internal committee materials.”
The way poll questions are written can have a profound impact on the results. You might get a vastly different approval rate for a question like “Do you support raising your taxes for police officers?” than for “Would you support increased funding to improve public safety response and help reduce crime rates?”
This isn’t to say that Electric City Citizens for Public Safety intended to mislead anyone with its questions. But it’s important to consider the questions when interpreting the results.
The group points out that Great Falls risks falling farther behind other Montana cities in support for public safety. Missoula, Kalispell and Billings voters approved levies within the past five years. Helena plans to ask voters next spring for a levy to support firefighters and police officers.
Great Falls voters approved a bond measure in the ’60s that built fire stations, but there has been no additional voter-approved levy for public safety departments, which have relied on one-time infusions, such as ARPA, and special funding sources to invest in equipment and facilities. Budget materials for the coming year detailed more than $1 million in requests from police, fire and legal departments that weren’t granted. Those requests included personnel and equipment.
Increases in the 2027 city budget were largely due to growing labor costs for existing staff in public safety departments. There is no formal proposal yet for a public safety levy, which would require the city commission’s approval before a public vote.
Photo Op 📸
Gov. Greg Gianforte was in Great Falls last week to present the 2025 Montana Veterans Commendation awards. The ceremony took place at the Montana Veterans Memorial.
The recipients were Bernard Cooper, David Driver, Ernesto Galvez, Herbert Gilmour, Russell Jacques, William Rogers, Terry Tobiness, Neil White and Blake Wombold.
Eye on Local Government 🏛️
The Great Falls City Commission approved 2027 assessments for five special districts. Here’s a summary of the changes:
Boulevard District
These funds allow the Park and Recreation department to maintain trees only within the boulevard district, and only those within the district are assessed.
Assessment change: 10% increase or $12.45 for an average-sized lot
Total assessment: $136.62 for an average lot (assessment varies by property size)
Park Maintenance District
This fund was approved in 2018 to address maintenance needs across the city’s park facilities. It also covers debt payments on the Aim High Big Sky recreation center. The fund raises $1.5 million each year, but each property owner’s assessment varies with fluctuations in property value.
Assessment: Estimated average assessment not yet ready, per the city finance office. The 2026 assessment was $37.51 for a $300,000 home or $86.20 on a $600,000 home.
Lighting Districts
There are 27 special improvement lighting districts in Great Falls. The majority of the 9,429 roadway lights are owned by NorthWestern Energy, city documents state, and the city pays maintenance fees to cover operations.
Assessment change: Seventeen of the 27 districts will see increases ranging from $50 to $35,000 for one large district. See all proposed assessments on page 282 of the city commission agenda.
Portage Meadows
The Portage Meadows maintenance district provides snow removal, tree service, water and other services to a specific east-end neighborhood. It’s a series of cul-de-sacs between 52nd Street and Fourth Avenue North.
Assessment change: 10% increase or $42.81 for the average lot
Total assessment: $470.95 for the average lot
Street Maintenance
The street maintenance district funds roadway improvements on 393 miles of streets and alleys in Great Falls. That includes pavement work, street cleaning and snow removal. Residential, commercial, downtown and mixed-use properties are assessed differently.
Assessment change: 5% increase or $7.25 for an average residential lot
Total assessment: $152.80 for an average residential lot
Great Falls in Brief ⏱️
The Great Falls City Commission approved changes to its public meeting times. It will meet for work sessions at 4:30 p.m. (previously 5:30 p.m.) and for regular meetings at 6 p.m. (previously 7 p.m.). The meetings will still take place on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The change begins in September.
The Electric City Waterpark is giving its pool to the dogs Aug. 29 for the Drool in the Pool event. Dogs must be current on vaccinations to dive in with their people. The event is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry is $6 per pet and $3 per human, and admission includes free microchipping. Find more information about the event.
Great Falls Clinic and Hospital announced a new CEO in Ned Hill, who previously led HCA Healthcare’s South Tampa market in Florida. Hill started at Tampa just two years ago. Hill succeeds Mark Robinson, whose tenure at Great Falls Clinic was less than two years and who also has previous experience as an executive for HCA hospitals. Robinson now leads a hospital in Springfield, Oregon. Hill’s first day at Great Falls Clinic is Aug. 24.
More from MTFP 📰
Indigenous affairs reporter Nora Mabie writes about a new exhibit at The History Museum that tells the story of an Indian boarding school in northcentral Montana. The records were donated by the Ursuline Sisters Catholic order.
Dept. of Corrections 😬
The Aug. 18 edition of Great Falls This Week erroneously said the 2027 assessment for the Park Maintenance District was about $37.50 on a $300,000 home. That was the 2026 figure. The 2027 estimates aren’t yet ready, according to the city’s finance office.
