Updated 8 a.m. Nov. 7

Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7.

They can be returned by mail, but must be received by that deadline, or in the elections office or the drop box at the county annex.

Ballots will be counted at the Expo Park as they have been in years past.

Sandra Merchant, Cascade County clerk and recorder, said that there are 36,014 active registered voters in the county.
Her elections office mailed 25,884 ballots for this municipal election.

Merchant told The Electric that 9.560 ballots had been returned as of Nov. 6.

The ballot includes town council races in Belt and Cascade.

In Great Falls, the ballot includes mayor, two city commission seats and two Municipal Court judge positions.

The Great Falls ballot also includes a mill levy for public safety operations and a public safety infrastructure bond.
Candidates for mayor are:

• Joe McKenney
• Casey Schreiner
• Cory Reeves
• Abby Brown

Commission candidates are:

• Rick Tryon (incumbent)
• Eric Hinebauch (incumbent)
  Micaela Stroop
• Shannon Wilson
• Kendall Cox

Candidates for Municipal Court judge include incumbent Steve Bolstad who’s unopposed for the Department A seat and for the newly established Department B seat:

• Mark Dunn
• Cayle Halberg

Watch The Electric’s candidate forum and read written responses from candidates who missed it here:
City candidates take questions at The Electric’s forum

The ballot also includes two public safety items, an operational mill levy and an infrastructure bond.

The updated language for for the levy reads:

“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 $13,675,910. Based on the taxable value of the city in fiscal year 2024, the property taxes on a home with an assessed market value for tax purposes of $100,000 would increase by $140.06 per year, of $300,000 would increase by $420.18 per year, and of $600,000 would increase by $840.36 per year. An increase in property taxes may lead to an increase in rental costs.”

If the levy and/or bond are approved by voters in November, those mills would go on the tax bills in November 2024 and the city would first collect a portion of those funds in December 2024.

The city sets its mills in August annually as part of the budget process.

At that time, the mills may change, since the city’s valuation changes annually.

The city will establish a public safety fund for the levy and bond funds, if approved, and review that fund annually, like any other city fund, according to City Manager Greg Doyon.

Because of the delay in the mills being assessed and collected, implementation of those proposals would take several years, Doyon said, if voters approve the levy and/or bond.

He said implementing the proposals for municipal court and the legal department would be easiest, then fire and police due to their training schedules and larger personnel asks.

Doyon said that depending on the implementation plan, cash flow for public safety funds and needs, and the value of mills, he may recommend taking less than the maximum allowable mills in the first few years of the public safety levy.

For background on the public safety levy and bond, read our previous coverage:

City adjusts public safety ballot language to reflect updated tax impact estimates

City officials discuss public safety levy, bond for Nov. 7 ballot

Neighborhood councils holding public safety town halls

City Commissioners vote to send public safety infrastructure bond to the November ballot 

City set to vote on sending $21 million public safety infrastructure bond to November ballot

City hosts public safety forum, discusses November levy question

City reviews language for proposed public safety infrastructure bond ballot language

City hosting public safety town hall June 14

City discussing public safety infrastructure bond

City Commission votes to send public safety levy to November ballot

City considering adding SROs to public safety levy

City finalizing plans for public safety levy

City adjusting plans for proposed public safety levy

City legal, fire discuss options for public safety levy

City reevaluating plans for public safety levy

City considering $35 million public safety levy

City considering improvements to GFPD, GFFR; public safety levy