Timeline: library, public safety levies

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Jenn Rowell

As city and library officials negotiate a library agreement and funding, here’s a look back at the timeline of both the library and public safety levy discussions.

City, library reopen negotiations over management agreement, funding

For at least the last decade, city officials have discussed the need for more public safety funding, but have taken a piecemeal approach to addressing those needs.

2019

In 2019, while reviewing the budget, then mayor Bob Kelly asked city staff to develop information on what a public safety levy might look like to fund public safety personnel and possibly an anticipated 911 communication system that was an estimated $3 million.

Other commissioners said they would support further discussion about a potential public safety levy.

June: City takes first look at proposed budget, mayor floats idea of public safety levy

June: City budget being developed, no new public safety officers included

2020

In March 2020, roughly 10 days before the city largely shutdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, local law enforcement officials held a town hall meeting, discussing rising crime, the local impact of state law changes and the lack of resources.

Police, sheriff worried about rising crime; asking for community support, law changes

2021

In early 2021, City Commissioners began discussing a plan to establish a task force to “evaluate crime issues in our
community and produce detailed actionable recommendations on how to reduce crime in Great Falls,” according to Commissioner Rick Tryon’s proposed concept.

Tryon first raised the idea during the commission’s annual priority setting meeting in January 2021. It was the only concrete idea to come out of the meeting which is typically used by staff to get priorities from commissioners so staff can plan the city budget accordingly.

During the March 16 work session, Tryon discussed his vision for the task force and by the end, commissioners agreed to have staff continue tweaking a draft resolution to be presented to a vote during the April 6 meeting.

In Tryon’s draft document, the task force would produce recommendations with a focus on “how Great Falls law-enforcement and the local criminal justice system can better protect and serve our community and citizenry and help
ensure that we are safe in our persons and in our property. The report and recommendations will be presented to the public, the Great Falls City Commission, and the city manager for further action.”

The city did not increase taxes for two budget years during COVID for taxpayer relief, but the move further strained city resources, according to city officials.

During a July 2021 library board meeting, Susie McIntyre, Great Falls Public Library director, told the board that she was working to organize a meeting with city, county and the other libraries to discuss options for the library funding structure, which include asking voters to approve a larger mill levy for library operations.

She said they were exploring an option to create a library district and make the GFPL a stand alone entity. Though it is managed independently by its own library board, under the management agreement, library staff are city employees.

City Manager Greg Doyon said that had conversations with McIntyre that it was unlikely the library will get more general fund support from the city and that he’d encouraged the library to explore other revenue sources that might be more stable.

“We give them more than we’re obligated to, but that isn’t enough and we’re already stretched thin,” he said that summer.

In September 2021, the crime task force released their recommendations, that commissioners began publicly reviewing in November 2021.

Among those recommendations, was, “considering the city’s financial limitations’ effect on law enforcement, we recommend budget amendments and/or evaluate a public safety levy, identifying specific uses of funds if approved by electors.”

In October 2021, Susie McIntyre, Great Falls Public Library director, presented to Cascade County Commissioners during a public meeting. She reviewed the library’s funding structure, resources, services and funding needs.

She said that a change would soon be necessary for the library to continue functioning properly and among those options was a mill levy.

In November, commissioners began reviewing the crime task force’s recommendations.

March: City discusses creation of crime task force

May: Crime task force members scheduled for appointment at May 18 commission meeting

June: New crime task force begins meeting

July: State, federal and local prosecutors discuss trends, resources with city crime task force

July: Library looking at funding structure options, possibility of levy

July: Crime task force continues learning about resources, challenges in city

August: City crime task force developing ideas for crime reduction recommendations

September: City’s crime task force releases their recommendations, seeking public comment

October: Officials looking at options for library funding structure

November: City Commission to take first look at crime task force recommendations during Nov. 2 meeting

November: City Commission begins review of crime task force recommendations

2022

In early 2022, commissioners were still reviewing the recommendations from their crime task force.

During an April work session, former commissioner Eric Hinebauch said he wanted to discuss at a future work session the possibility of a sending a public safety to voters.

Commissioner Joe McKenney said they need to start looking at public safety funding to implement any of the crime task force recommendations.

Hinebauch and McKenney said they needed to gather information on public safety needs to consider a levy.

The city has discussed the possibility of a public safety levy many times over the years, including in 2019 and 2014.

The city sent a $1.7 million levy request to the voters in 2009 for additional firefighters and police officers. That levy failed.

City officials continued discussing public safety needs through the summer and fall that year. Library officials began work on their master plan.

In September 2022, the Great Falls Public Library board voted to direct the library director to begin preparing to send a library mill levy to the ballot.

During that meeting, Susie McIntyre, library director, told the board she was meeting with city and county officials to determine the timing and amount of the levy, but were looking for a total budget of $2.5 million.

If the library maintained its current funding of about $1.5 million, for a city levy they’d ask for about $995,000, McIntyre said then.

Initially, staff had planned to send the levy to the November 2023 ballot but indications are that the city will likely put a public safety levy on that ballot and McIntyre said during that meeting she’d been advised not to try to compete with another levy since voters often pick one versus the other.

There was also consideration of waiting until the spring of 2024, but McIntyre said there was some concern the school district might go for a levy on that ballot, so staff was considering a spring 2023 ballot.

Cascade County Commissioners sent a roughly $2.5 million public safety levy to voters in November 2022. That levy was approved and applies to county services at the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Cascade County Attorney’s Office. Those funds do not apply to city public safety services.

During an Oct. 4 city commission work session, McIntyre presented levy options.

She said the question was whether the levy funding would replace or supplement existing funding or some mixture of those.

McIntyre explained to commissioners that at the time, the library was receiving two mills of funding that voters approved, seven mills through the management agreement with the city and a $350,000 general fund subsidy.

In November 2022, City Commissioners looked at estimates for public safety needs, which were grouped into good, better, best options and indicated they were interested in sending the best package, which was an estimated $35 million, to the voters.

But the city finance director burst their bubble when she told them that option would double the city budget and increase taxes to residential property owners by 191 percent.

City Manager Greg Doyon was out of town for that November work session and during the Dec. 6, 2022 work session, he told commissioners he didn’t think that option was palatable or affordable to the community.

He said it was needed, but “it’s such a significant ask, I think it’s very going to be difficult to get support behind that. It’s ideal but I don’t think it’s really the reality.”

During a December 2022 commission work session, both the library and public safety levies were on the agenda.

During that meeting, commissioners gave their support to staff to move forward with asking voters to approve a charter change increasing library mills from two to 18. Under that option, library staff that level of funding was predicted on maintaining the seven mills in the management agreement, but giving back the $350,000 general fund subsidy.

During the same meeting, commissioners continued discussing their public safety ask.

February: City continues review of crime task force recommendations

February: City Commission has yet to prioritize cri me task force recommendations, continues discussion

April: City finalizing plans for use of ARPA funds; beginning discussion of public safety levy

April: Great Falls library master planning underway

April: City discusses potential public safety levy; crime study

May: City officials discuss crime, drugs

July: City officials continue discussion of potential public safety levy

July: County approves intent to send public safety levy to ballot; hearing set for Aug. 19

July: County considering $3.52 million public safety levy

August: County lowers public safety levy for deputy, attorney pay; pre-trial, school safety programs

August: County sending $2.46 million public safety levy to November ballot

September: Great Falls library board pursuing levy

October: County public safety levy includes pre-trial funding

October: Library presents master plan, levy proposal to city commission

November: City considering improvements to GFPD, GFFR; public safety levy

November: City considering $35 million public safety levy

December: City reevaluating plans for public safety levy

December: Library board to discuss levy option

December: Library votes to pursue city, rural mill levies

December: City legal, fire discuss options for public safety levy

December: City moving forward with plans to send library levy to May ballot

2023

In January 2023, city officials continued reviewing public safety needs and estimates and settled on a levy request around $10 million.

In February 2023, commissioners decided to add two school resource officers to their levy ask at an estimated $230,000 additional cost.

They continued finalizing their ask, ballot language and also decided to add a $21 million public safety infrastructure bond to the ballot. They also reviewed a proposal to spend up to $150,000 with a marketing firm for an education campaign for the public safety levy.

In February 2023, staff adjusted the library levy plan to put the question on the June 6 ballot with the charter amendment from two to 17 mills.

The set a public hearing for Feb. 21, 2023, when commissioners unanimously approved a resolution sending the question to the ballot.

On March 7, 2023, commissioners voted unanimously to send the roughly $10 million public safety levy to the November ballot. They voted 3-2 to spend up to $150,000 with The Wendt agency on the education campaign for the levy with Tryon and McKenney opposed.

Throughout the spring, the library board battled with the Cascade County Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant, who at the time oversaw the county elections department, over the planned June 6 library election. The issue generated significant media coverage and multiple legal actions.

In April 2023, commissioners continued discussing public safety needs and focused on an infrastructure bond to send to the ballot.

Library election ballots were mailed in mid-May and a district court judge appointed an election monitor.

In early June, the city advertised it would be hosting a town hall on the proposed public safety levy.

During a June 6, 2023 meeting, commissioners adjusted the language for the public safety levy based on legislative changes.

On June 6, 2023, voters approved the library levy.

During their June 20, 2023 meeting, they voted unanimously to send a $21.17 million public safety infrastructure bond to the November ballot.

Throughout the summer, city officials spoke during multiple public meetings and went to various community groups to speak about the public safety levy and bond.

January: City adjusting plans for proposed public safety levy

January: City finalizing plans for public safety levy

February: City charter change proposed for library levy

February: City considering adding SROs to public safety levy

February: Public hearing on library levy set for Feb. 21

February: City library levy hearing on Feb. 21

February: City Commission votes to send library levy to June ballot

February: Library levy goes to city ballot June 6

March: City Commission scheduled to vote on sending public safety levy to November ballot

March: GFPS election also going to polls; Merchant says library levy email was a “misunderstanding”

March: City Commission votes to send public safety levy to November ballot

June: City hosting public safety town hall June 14