Missoula County Budget

Have you ever wondered how your local government manages or spends their budget? This PDF will help to answer these questions. Here you will find more information regarding priorities, projects and spending as divided by the City of Missoula, the University of Montana and Missoula County.

State of the Community 2015 PDF

2015 State of the Community

On Monday, Feb. 9, Missoula area leaders gathered to discuss the annual State of the Community. Each year, the Mayor of Missoula, University of Montana President and the Chair of the Missoula County Commissioners meet to share events of the year past and what the public can expect in the year ahead. The following text is taken from Commissioner Bill Carey's speech. For more information, please view the event pamphlet.

Thank you to City Club for hosting this get together today and for providing this forum throughout the year for opportunities to inform ourselves on matters of critical importance to the well-being of our community.

I’m honored to be here on behalf of Missoula County and to have the chance to talk a bit about some of the activities the County is engaged in now and will be into the future.  This event also, of course, provides a fine opportunity to listen and to learn from you.

Some background: Missoula County consists of around 2,600 hundred square miles in the Rocky Mountains of Western Montana.  The County stretches from the north of Condon, all the way south nearly to Florence in the Bitterroot Valley.  The County’s population is 112,000; 39% of the population has a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The County employs approximately 700 people and carries its own Worker’s Comp and Benefits Plans. It is governed by a three member Board of County Commissioners who each serve 6 year staggered terms.  The commissioners are responsible for the overall operations and assets of the County but we can’t tell other elected officials how to run their departments.  As an administrative arm of the State we can’t make laws or officially pass judgment on them.  We can do what the Legislature says we can do - nothing more or less.  

I must say, however, that despite these restraints, we do very well in a lot of areas that help make our community a safe, healthy and economically robust place to call home.

Missoula County has consistently and creatively supported economic development activities in all shapes and sizes.  Recent developments in Bonner at the former Stimson mill site provide a good example.

In 2012 and 2014, we created two economic development districts in Bonner. The new tax dollars generated beyond the base year in these districts are invested in improvements within the respective districts. This approach works very well as business growth in Bonner continues to build momentum.

The trailer manufacturer, ALCOM, continues to grow and add jobs. Harris Manufacturing anticipates employing a work force of 35 new, high quality jobs over the next two years.  Other companies that have been welcomed to the district are Northwest Paints, Kettlehouse Brewing Co., Bonner Transfer and Storage and Montainer.

Willis Enterprises is another example of a remarkably innovative company who found a market for previously unmarketable logs and who now creates an additional 150 jobs in our community beyond their own employees. These new businesses, taken together, have brought 250 new jobs to Bonner in the last two years and we anticipate up to 400 new jobs by the end of this year.

The County partners with other organizations to help promote and guide economic growth. The Missoula Economic Partnership, or “MEP,” for example, has played an instrumental role in helping businesses locate in Bonner.

The Bitterroot Economic Development District, or “BREDD,” has helped a number of these businesses apply for Big Sky Trust Fund dollars to assist their fledgling enterprises. 41 companies, including Rivertop Renewables and Submittal, have benefited from BREDD’s expertise. In just the past few years, BREDD’s grant writing has brought in over $6 million dollars in direct support to businesses in Missoula County.

(Commissioner Jean Curtiss, by the way, led the effort to create BREDD several years ago and continues to sit on its Board.)

Missoula County recognizes the need to fairly and responsibly regulate growth. An updated County wide growth policy is in the works and with the help of our dedicated staff at our Community and Planning Services Department; we will protect the environment and other key values we share as individuals and as a community.

Coupled with this growth policy effort is the pending “Industrial Lands Needs Assessment Report” which will help us evaluate our existing industrial infrastructure and outline a process for ensuring that future economic development will occur in a time, place and manner that works best for us. This Report is a collaborative project with the County, MEP and BREDD all partnering up.

Of course, adopted policies are only as effective as their implementation. The County is committed to bringing our zoning, shoreline, flood plain and subdivision regulations up to standards that meet the needs of our community and still provide a cost effective and efficient permitting process.

Our subdivision regulations re-write project will be entering its second public input process this Spring, with our shoreline regulations scheduled to begin public review in March and April. We hope you will participate in these meetings because, we do, in fact, carefully listen to what you have to say.

Attempting to fulfill constituency needs and aspirations sometimes present difficult challenges, especially when we are not in control of our destiny. Like all levels of government we are facing fiscal realities that could negatively impact the high levels of service our citizens rightfully expect from us. A case in point is the failure of Congress to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools Act which historically has provided significant funding for Counties to maintain and improve their roads. This mystifying failure has led to a brutal shortfall in revenues for Missoula County as well as counties in 42 of the 50 states.

We can take the hit this year by backfilling the shortfall with reserves and various one-time cost savings in the Public Works Department’s budget, but we’re talking about $389,000, and that is a big hole to fill. Congress must find a long-term solution to this impending melt down. (Missoulian editorial)

Another on-going challenge we face is that the cost of delivering essential public services keeps going up, even as pressure to increase wages, maintain benefits and pay our bills continues to outpace the creation of newly taxable property. Something, eventually, has to give.

On a brighter, more upbeat note, I would like to just briefly mention a particularly successful program the County supports – the Nurse-Family Partnership.

The City-County Health Department launched the Nurse-Family Partnership in September 2012. The program connects public health nurses with first time mothers living in poverty. It provides assistance in planning for a healthy pregnancy and birth, obtaining information on housing and health services and learning about the different stages of child development. The ‘Partnership’ now serves up to 50 at-risk families in Missoula County.

I’m told that every dollar invested in this program yields 6 dollars in return through cost savings from other publicly supported programs. In Montana alone, the cost savings to the state and federal government is in the neighborhood of $20,000 by the child’s 18^th birthday. The Health Department proudly reports that the first client to graduate from the Nurse-Family Partnership will do so this month.    

As part of this year’s budget, the Board of County Commissioners reinforced our dedication to serve the community by investing in enhanced communication efforts. Later this year when you go to the Missoula County homepage, you will find a user friendly and enriched website.

The public has expressed their concerns about accessing information and they report often having difficulties navigating our thousands of pages of content. This will no longer be the case. The site will open with beautiful images as provided by local photographers and artists. Pages, forms and directories will be organized strictly with the public’s need as the focus.  We know you are looking for important information and we will make it available in the clearest, most transparent and visually appealing manner possible.

The County is also investing in moving to the cutting edge of the ever-changing world of communications. We know you don’t just read the daily newspaper anymore and call it good. With this in mind, the County will also be launching County-wide social media platforms and a blog to better serve you by sharing accurate and timely information as we receive it.

All of our efforts, whether in communications, economic development, public health, and so on, are motivated by the desire to improve our quality of life both now and into the future  Our County employees, therefore, take exceptional pride in their work.

The arrival of newly elected officials and new leadership throughout the County will no doubt bring fresh ideas and new approaches to solving problems.

I’m looking forward to an invigorating future in service to the public.

Thank you. 

Chair of the Missoula County Commissioners, Bill Carey, presenting his speech at the State of the Community event on Feb. 9, 2015.

April: National County Government Month

National County Government Month is an annual celebration of county government, held each April. Missoula County serves its citizens in many meaningful ways. The following is an excerpt from the National Association of Counties (NaCO), explaining "Why Counties Matter."

Transportation & Infrastructure

Transportation and infrastructure are critical components that support the economies of our counties and improve the standard of living or all Americans. By providing efficient transportation and transit options such as buses, trains light rail and subway systems, counties are the driving forces connecting communities. Counties invest in building the schools where students learn, the hospitals that threat and provide care to the community and the jails that house and rehabilitate wrongdoers. From cleaning up storm debris and restoring safety to the community to cleaning the water we drink by maintaining reservoirs, purification plants and pumping stations, counties provide the basic services that are often taken for granted.

For more information about National County Government Month, visit the NaCo website.

Jerry Marks: 45 Years with Missoula County

July 14, 1969. As was recognized March 5 at the Missoula County Employee Service Awards, Weed/Extension Department Head, Jerry Marks, first began his employment 45 years ago; currently the County’s longest serving employee.

                                  

“Jerry has been amazing to work for and with,” Weed District Manager Bryce Christiaens said. “Jerry is not afraid of taking on big, complicated projects and he is often successful in those endeavors.”

This tenancy and desire to work with others started very early on, Marks explained. Growing up on a farm taught Marks how to deal with people to solve an array of issues. His mother encouraged Marks and his siblings to learn from others, and their cultures, by hosting students from the International youth Farm Exchange Program. Marks’ upbringing instilled the values of acceptance and a lifelong passion to learn from those around him.

“When working on a complicated issue, you can never have enough resources,” Marks said. “It is important to listen to those involved and identify what their values are and the issues that are based on those values. Once all have an understanding of each other you can begin to move forward towards shared goals.”

Marks’ mentality has been exceptionally beneficial to his 45 year tenure at Missoula County. Throughout his time, Marks has been able to bring groups together to establish programs “by and with the people.” During the 1908 he built the Biological Weed Control Program, the first of its kind in Montana to manage noxious weeds and plants. This program involved bringing together land owners, environmental groups and concerned members of the public; all of whom had different interests.

 

Jerry with Commissioners Jean Curtiss (left), Bill Carey and Cola Roley (right). The walker pictured was given to Jerry by his Weed/Extension staff. All in attendance of the Missoula County Employee Service Awards were smiling ear to ear.  

“This came as a result of the shift in the Missoula County agriculture community. In the 1970s Missoula was being discovered and subdivisions were created without being ready,” Marks said. “Moving forward in the 80s we needed to manage noxious weeds for the community to continue growing.”

Within the past 25 years, Marks has also created the Noxious Weed Trust Fund, which required the facilitation of community hearings to best serve the public. Most recently, Marks played a tremendous role in the development of Montana’s Invasive Species Management Program. Governor Steve Bullock signed the council into creation on Dec. 4, 2014, as both Marks and Christiaens proudly witnessed.

“Jerry has played a huge role in the management of the city of Missoula’s open space program,” Christiaens said.  “He helped create a number of watershed groups throughout Western Montana - one of which is the Blackfoot Challenge - by working to bring together landowners, researchers and other land management agencies/professionals to find ecologically based solutions to common land management problems.”

Marks’ accomplishments throughout the past 45 years have been of tremendous benefit to the community and especially to those with whom he has worked more closely.

“Missoula is a diverse and passionate community, which means that it can be a struggle to find answers to issues,” Marks said. “But because people are so invested in the betterment of their community, great work gets done. My best memories are of helping people think through issues.”

It is because of the diversity of issues that Marks has continued his career at Missoula County. He explains that every new challenge comes with an education that creates the opportunity to reinvent himself based on what he has learned.

“People allow you to change and make mistakes,” Marks said. “It is important to take risk and put things together to keep life invigorated and challenged. You don’t have to do the same thing the same way.”

More than anything, Marks’ time at the County has been fueled by a simple concept: the people.  Whether working with various community groups or with his colleagues at Missoula County, Marks is still excited about his career 45 years later and is driven to continue working for the public good.

“Missoula has a special willingness to try things. The people are passionate about what they do and where they live,” Marks said. “At the County, I have had the opportunity to work with people who encourage new ideas and who care about their community.”

His contagious smile, determination and dedication are well-recognized in the County.

“Jerry always supported and encouraged me and all his employees to think big, provide leadership where it is needed, support others when you can, to always listen to others’ points-of-view,” Christiaens said. “He has been one of only a very small handful of people that I consider mentors.”

Congratulations to Jerry Marks. Missoula County is fortunate to have such an outstanding employee.

Meet Our New Chief Operating Officer

A friendly and familiar face now fills the previously vacant position in the Commissioners office. Chris Lounsbury was hired as the County Chief Operating Officer in late December, after serving as Missoula County’s Director of Emergency Management since 2012.

His recent promotion has been Chris’ goal for three years. When hired as the OEM Director by former COO, Steve Johnson, Chris happily accepted the promotion but told Steve that he would one day be gunning for the role.

“I knew Steve was going to move on in 2018 and thought that I had a few years before I thought about applying,” Chris said. “But when Steve left early, and the position opened up, I knew that this was the time to stretch myself and apply for new challenges.”

The transition from OEM Director to COO has new and broader responsibilities, but Chris explains many similarities between both positions. As the OEM Director, Chris worked collaboratively across many departments and agencies. The job requires coordination with various forms of leadership. As such, Chris says that good relationships are the foundation of success. He sees being the COO in the same way. Instead of working with a handful of departments, as he did as the OEM Director, Chris now works on a “larger scale” across the County.

“In both roles, but now especially as the COO, I want to help departments when they’re interacting with other agencies or other departments,” Chris said.  “I think they all have the same goal: to best serve the public. I get to work with people who ask the right questions and who find the best and smartest people to answer them. I think that’s how government should operate.”

Chief Administrative Officer, Vickie Zeier, also attributed these qualities to Chris’ selection for the position and one of the many reasons why she believes he will succeed in the COO role.

“Chris’ experience as the Director of Office of Emergency Management was an important component to selecting him,” Vickie said. “He has demonstrated the ability to bring different agencies together to improve communications and work together to provide the essentials duties of public safety during emergency events.  

Chris is excited to have the opportunity to work on projects such as the Fort Missoula regional park, where he and his wife, Heather, and their two kids, Connor and Georgia, can enjoy the family venue.