County puts mill-levy requests to June vote

Financing effort targets Juvenile Detention Center, mosquito control

The Flathead County commissioners agreed Tuesday to place two property-tax mill-levy requests on the June primary ballot.

One levy would allow as many as two mills to be levied for a countywide mosquito control program. The second would authorize as many as three mills for the Juvenile Detention Center.

The detention center request is a compromise of sorts, as the county and the Sheriff's Office try to find ways to address a variety of law enforcement, emergency services and district court budget issues.

County Administrator Mike Pence said the initial intent was to submit a levy request for the Sheriff's Office, rather than the detention center.

The office is currently financed with a 30-mill levy that was approved by voters several years ago. Sheriff Jim Dupont was hoping to increase that, in part because he hasn't been able to hire additional patrol officers in five years.

However, the county also is considering whether to form a consolidated 911 emergency dispatch center, and it faces other budget needs related to the district court.

Consequently, Dupont and Pence decided the best approach would be to request three mills in June for the Juvenile Detention Center.

If approved, the levy would raise $500,100 specifically for the detention center, which currently is paid for out of the county's general mill levy; the move would free up three mills from the general levy that could be used for the district court and other needs.

A second levy request then would be submitted to voters in November to address the Sheriff's Office and the 911 center budget requirements.

A three-mill levy would raise property taxes by about $9.42 a $100,000 in home market value.

The mosquito levy would allow the county to raise as much as $333,400 a year for mosquito control, including spraying, larvicides and public education.

The actual levy, however, could be much less than that, depending on the district's budget.

The commissioners created a countywide mosquito control district in August, in part because of concerns about West Nile virus. They also appointed a citizens advisory board to manage the district.

Commissioner Joe Brenneman, the county's representative on the advisory board, said the board "has no intention of actually spending the two mills."

The district's tentative budget includes $27,000 a year for a part-time employee, plus $30,000 for supplies. The final budget would have to be approved by the commissioners.

The primary election takes place June 6. Thursday is the deadline for candidates to file for this year's elections and for levy requests or initiatives to be placed on the primary ballot.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com.