City public safety officials spoke about current operations and needs during a June 14 forum.

City Commissioners voted in March to send an estimated $10.7 million public safety operations levy to the November ballot.

At the same time, they voted to spend up to $150,000 with The Wendt Agency on a public education campaign for the levy.

The forum panel included City Manager Greg Doyon, Great Falls Police Chief Jeff Newton, Great Falls Fire Rescue Chief Jeremy Jones, City Attorney David Dennis, Municipal Court Judge Steve Bolstad and City Finance Director Melissa Kinzler.

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Doyon said city officials have known about public safety deficiencies for years but struggled with how to address those budget shortfalls.

A 2009 public safety levy request was rejected by voters.

Doyon said the public safety departments are in crisis mode and trying to keep their heads above water.

For the current budget year, the city projected $22.9 million in tax revenue in the general fund, and the police and fire budgets are $27.4 million.

Doyon said the city doesn’t generate enough in property taxes to support police and fire.

State law caps property tax increases for municipalities.

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In 2021, commissioners established a crime task force to review the needs and challenges facing public safety agencies in Great Falls and to make recommendations.

Out of those discussions came proposals for a public safety levy that started in good, better, best categories.

Initially, commissioners said they wanted to pursue the best option, which was a roughly $35 million levy, essentially doubling the size of the city budget.

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Staff told commissioners that was unlikely to be supported by voters and through continued discussions, commissioners settled on the current proposal that Doyon said is a hybrid of the good and better options for about $10.7 million.

The ballot language reads:

“Shall the City Commission of the City of Great Falls, Montana be authorized to levy mills for the purpose of paying costs of public safety services, including operations, maintenance and certain capital costs of the police department, fire department, city attorney and municipal court services and related public safety expenses? If this mill levy proposition is passed, the City will be authorized to levy permanently up to 103.75 mills per year, to raise approximately $10,717,305. Based on the current taxable value of the City, the property taxes on a home with an assessed market value for tax purposes of $100,000 would increase by $140.06 per year and property taxes on a home with an assessed market value for tax purposes of $200,000 would increase by $280.11 per year.”

Levying a number of mills versus a set dollar amount gives the city more flexibility in the event that property values and the city’s tax base increase.

Based on the current proposed ballot language, the city can mill up to the max amount, but does not have to seek the full amount. The number of mills the city chooses to levy, up to the max, would be determined during the annual budget process.

As currently proposed, the public safety levy includes, plus two SROs for about $230,000:

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In 1969, voters approved a $1.96 million bond to build the existing fire stations and training center.

Since then, according to the city, fire and medical calls have increased 700 percent.

Municipal Court Judge Steve Bolstad said one of the court’s biggest issues is not being able to seat juries, resulting in mistrials.

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He said that this week, the Municipal Court had called 50 people for jury duty in a disorderly conduct case, and only 15 people showed up. He said they were able to seat a jury but it’s an example of a lack of public participation and if approved, the levy would include funding for a jury clerk to help address those issues.

Bolstad said his office is currently running a mental health court using grant funding since the city didn’t have the resources to do so through tax revenue.

Bolstad said that the Municipal Court would also add a compliance officer with levy funds, to make sure offenders are meeting court ordered requirements and cut down on warrants and unpaid fines.

He said the court currently has about 6,000 outstanding warrants and outstanding fines total about $4 million.

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GFFR Chief Jones said that when the 1969 bond passed, they built the existing four fire stations based on the city’s geographic and population realities at the time.

He said the city has expanded since then and the department struggles to meet the four-minute response time standard that allows fire and medical personnel to protect property and save lives.

The city was downgraded for its insurance rating last year, as it relates to fire coverage, which will increase costs to property owners through private insurance providers.

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“We are sliding in our ability to cover,” the city with emergency personnel, Jones said.

Jones said the city is “two fire stations behind,” but that it was unrealistic to put that amount to voters.

The operational levy does not include funds for a new station, but the proposed facility bond that commissioners will consider sending to the ballot during their June 20 meeting would fund one station.

He said if that bond passes, GFFR could build one new station and work toward a sixth.

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“We’re so far behind, we can’t satisfy it all in one bite,” Jones said.

David Dennis, city attorney, said that not counting traffic citations, the city prosecutes more criminal cases that the City of Billings, which has more prosecutors.

“Our folks are very, very, very efficient, and work very hard to get those cases prosecuted,” he said, but they’re overloaded.

If the levy were to pass, Dennis said they add one if not two prosecutors, as well as support staff to move cases and better work with victims for restitution.

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GFPD Chief Newton said that a full squad should have seven patrol officers, but they’re running on five.

He said if the levy passed, he’d add 12 patrol officers, seven investigators and two school resources officers, through it would take several years to add that many officers based on the state law enforcement training academy schedule and training requirements.

One audience member asked if the city could use marijuana tax revenue toward public safety.

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The marijuana tax has been discussed in multiple city meetings and went into effect in February.

Of the local option marijuana tax collected, the county will retain 50 percent, five percent will go to the Montana Department of Revenue and 45 percent goes to the municipalities in the county.

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According to the county, that would be split among the incorporated cities and towns based on the ratio of their population to the total county population. That would include the City of Great Falls, Belt, Cascade and Neihart.

Based on June 2022 marijuana sales in the county of $1,526,694.80, there would be a total tax revenue of $45,800.

Of that, the county would get 50 percent, or about $22,900.42 and the state takes their five percent.

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The county will determine how the remaining 45 percent is split.

Kinzler, city finance director, said last year that they estimate the city would receive about $20,000 a month or about $240,000 per year.

For comparison, a new fire engine costs an estimated $750,000 and an entry level police officer starting salary is $60,266.64.

The next public safety forum is planned for Sept. 18.