It is budget season in Missoula, and both the city and county are asking property owners for a little more this year. Between Mayor Andrea Davis’s proposed 3.8% city tax increase and the county’s estimated 3.25% bump, local boards are entering the most decisive stretch of public hearings over the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, a hot, dry week brought Stage II fire restrictions countywide, and the county commissioners finally closed the public hearing on a long-debated plan for the Miller Creek feral horse herd. If you've been waiting for a moment to weigh in on how your local tax dollars get spent, the next ten days are your window.
Here is what you need to know from the Missoula Commons team.
Missoula City Council
The FY2027 Budget: A 3.8% Tax Increase Proposed Mayor Andrea Davis presented her administrative budget in late July. It features a roughly $198 million operating budget that remains essentially flat against last year. To make it work, the city is proposing a 3.8% property tax increase.
- The cost to you: The owner of a $500,000 home would pay about $72 more per year (or $6 a month).
- Where the money goes: The tax bump would generate about $2.8 million, with 83% to 85% of that covering wages. It’s a remarkably lean proposal. There is only one new employee requested (a fee-funded utility engineer at $121,500), no new programs, and a total pay freeze for senior leadership and elected officials.
- The bigger picture: The city is still carrying a structural general-fund deficit of about $3.4 million. That gap was worsened this year by a $1.4 million police budget overrun tied to underestimated union contract costs. To balance the books for FY26, the city is relying partly on a one-time $2.5 million remittance from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA).
- Have your say: City Council opens the public budget hearing on Monday, Aug. 10 at 6:00 p.m., discusses amendments on Aug. 12, and could vote as soon as Aug. 17. You can comment in person at Council Chambers (140 W. Pine St.) or online via the Engage Missoula portal.
Land Secured for Fire Station #6 Council just gave preliminary approval to buy a two-acre parcel at South Third Street West and South Curtis Street for $2.3 million from CJB Properties. This will be the home of Missoula’s sixth fire station. It is being paid for out of the $5.5 million available under the voter-approved 2024 fire levy. Once built in mid-2028 (at an estimated $12.4–$13.7 million), the new 12,440-square-foot station will cut the share of city addresses sitting outside the critical four-minute emergency response zone from 46% down to 29%.
Missoula County Commissioners
Miller Creek Feral Horses: Coexistence is Winning Out At their Aug. 6 public hearing, county commissioners presented an updated draft resolution for managing the feral horse herd roaming the Miller Creek area. The herd, sitting at an estimated 60 to 100 animals, ranges from Florence to Missoula and descends from a group dating back to the early 1900s.
The revised resolution leans heavily into coexistence over removal. It focuses on fertility control (in partnership with the Montana Department of Livestock), adding "horses on road" caution signage, outlining a humane capture process for private landowners, and requiring a Department of Livestock inspection before any disposition. After receiving more than 300 written comments, public testimony at the hearing was uniformly in favor of keeping the herd. "I think we're pretty much in alignment with the neighborhood," noted Commissioner Josh Slotnick. The board will hold a final vote on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
The County FY2027 Budget: A 3.25% Increase Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury told the county at a preliminary hearing that property owners should expect an estimated 3.25% tax increase. The jump is driven mostly by personnel and spiking medical costs—employee health coverage is up an eye-watering 16% over two years. Commissioners will review the certified taxable values from the state on Aug. 18, and the final budget hearing and adoption vote is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6:00 p.m.
Stage II Fire Restrictions Enacted Commissioners issued a wildland fire emergency proclamation on Aug. 4, and Stage II fire restrictions officially took effect Friday, Aug. 7. This means absolutely no campfires, no smoking outside enclosed spaces or vehicles, and strict limits on equipment use during the hot afternoon hours. Missoula County, Ravalli County, the City of Missoula, and the Lolo and Bitterroot National Forests are all participating. The good news locally: The 1,235-acre Elder 1 fire southwest of Frenchtown reached 100% containment on Aug. 6.
Millions for Bridges Missoula County just landed a massive federal BUILD grant (the only one awarded in Montana this year) covering most of the $3.5 million needed to replace the load-restricted Glacier Creek Bridge in the Swan Valley. Construction is targeted for 2028. Closer to town, commissioners approved a $62,350 contract to repair the Sunset Hill Road Bridge in Greenough, which should reopen later this summer.
Around the County
- Holland Lake Wastewater Subsidy Pushback: On Aug. 4, the Flathead National Forest approved a categorical exclusion to reconstruct the wastewater lagoon system for the Holland Lake Lodge and campground. After heavy public feedback, the project scales back winter capacity. But of the $3.6 million estimated price tag, only about $300,000 serves the public campground. Groups like Save Holland Lake are loudly calling the rest a "ridiculous subsidy" of public dollars for a private business.
- Justice of the Peace Race: The Department 2 seat is the county's only contested race this fall. Incumbent Landee Holloway and challenger Kelli Sather are squaring off at a City Club Missoula forum on Monday, Aug. 10. MCAT will have the recording posted afterward.
- Naloxone Leave-Behind Program: Missoula Public Health and the Missoula Fire Department (MFD) just launched a joint program to stock naloxone kits on all MFD engines, ambulances, and ladder trucks. First responders can now leave these life-saving kits with overdose survivors and bystanders.
