Commissioners approve $78.4 million preliminary budget

The Flathead County Commissioners unanimously approved a $78.4 million preliminary budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 on July 1. That’s a 4 percent increase over the last fiscal year budget.

The preliminary budget includes a 3 percent pay raise for elected officials, a 3.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for other county employees and a 27.1 percent cash reserve, which is close to $9 million.

The commissioners also approved a $44.4 million capital improvement plan that is considered a planning road map for the next five years.

The plan includes $16 million for a new 55,000 square foot main library in Kalispell in fiscal year 2017. Citing a 62 percent increase in use over the past five years, library supporters have talked about a new building for about a decade.

The plan also includes $1 million for a branch library in Bigfork, also in fiscal year 2017. The commissioners earlier this year withdrew a $1.9 million earmark for a new library in Columbia Falls, but $100,000 was left in for upgrades to the existing library in the Columbia Falls City Hall.

Items in the capital improvement plan for this fiscal year include $275,000 for a new greenbox site near Essex, $2.1 million to buy 14 properties to allow for expansion at the county landfill, and $712,258 for improvements and engineering at the county fairgrounds in Kalispell.

Money to be taken from the general fund for capital improvements include $163,000 for a new maintenance shop and office, $284,700 for information technology, $179,694 for general building and site improvements, $230,000 for road department building additions, $72,000 for road department equipment, $390,600 to the sheriff’s office for vehicles, and $300,000 for jail renovations.

Capital improvements for the 2015 fiscal year include $1.5 million to remodel the historic jail building for use by the county attorney’s office and $2 million for a new Agency on Aging facility.

County administrator Mike Pence said public hearings will be held on the preliminary budget in August, and once the Montana Department of Revenue issues mill valuations for Flathead County, the commissioners can vote on the final budget in late August or September.