County poised to watchdog legislative issues

Fifth judge, infrastructure needs among Flathead concerns

By LYNNETTE HINTZE

Daily Inter Lake

Budget is the buzzword as Flathead County officials begin to zero in on the 65th legislative session that begins Jan. 2.

“It’s going to be a tough year,” Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist predicted. “They don’t have a lot of money to start with. The budget will be very slim.”

Gov. Steve Bullock has laid out a $9.7 billion biennium budget that would leave a $300 million ending-fund balance in two years. It’s a 4.1 percent increase over the state’s previous spending plan and has been criticized by Republicans who favor a more conservative approach to spending.

Harold Blattie, executive director of the Montana Association of Counties, said his organization is still trying to work through the proposed budget and already have “encountered a couple things of significance.

“One is that the budget proposes to reduce the growth rate of the entitlement share payments from the statutory caps of 3 percent for counties, 3.25 percent for consolidated governments and 3.5 percent for cities to 1.7 percent in 2018 and 1.0 percent in 2019,” Blattie said in an email to the Daily Inter Lake. “The dollar impacts cannot be determined, other than to assume the calculated growth rate for both years would hit the caps ... Last year Flathead County received $4,870,647. If the 3 percent growth is applied that would result in an increase of $146,119. When the 1.7 percent is applied the result is $82,801, or a loss in revenue to Flathead County of $63,318 in 2018. To be clear, that is not a reduction from the amount received this year. It is a reduction in the increase for the next two years.”

Blattie said counties also may be affected by a funding switch with the Treasure State Endowment Program, a grant program funded from a portion of the investment income from the coal trust fund. In the proposed budget that money is being used for other purposes and endowment program projects would be paid by the issuance of bonds.

“That sets up a situation where local governments that receive TSEP grants will have to become advocates for bonding,” Blattie said. “It’s an uncomfortable situation.”

Infrastructure funding will again be an issue for local governments, Blattie pointed out.

Flathead County Commissioner Phil Mitchell said infrastructure legislation is one area he’ll keep close tabs on.

“We can’t go year after year and not have roads and bridges worked on,” Mitchell said.

The state has put nearly $144 million in road projects on hold until after the legislative session.

Blattie said the word “infrastructure” appears in 28 bill draft request titles. The word “tax” appears in 205 bill draft requests.

The Montana Association of Counties on Thursday issued its first legislative update for the upcoming session, outlining the organization’s priority watch list and preparing county officials for participation in the session.

Among the proposed bills the association will be watching are revisions for tax lien and tax deed laws; revisions and an update of 911 laws; and revisions to the Montana Pesticides Act that include requirements for commercial applicators.

The association has proposed its own resolutions and legislation based on feedback from its constituents. Among its proposed bills is House Bill 101, which revises laws related to the Montana Public Employee Retirement System.

Mitchell said he’d like to see attention given to the state corrections system so Flathead County could move out a couple of dozen prisoners who are sentenced “and should be gone,” he said. The county routinely has to hold inmates because there’s no room at state facilities, and Flathead County faces a jail overcrowding problem of its own.

It’s questionable, though, whether more funding will be appropriated for the criminal justice system, given the anticipated budget belt-tightening, local legislators have indicated.

Holmquist said she’ll be tracking the Montana Judicial Branch’s proposal to add a fifth district judge to the 11th Judicial District that serves Flathead County.

The expense for a district judge is borne largely by the state, which pays for the judge and support staff and even the office furniture, but the county provides the courtroom and office space for the additional judge and support staff.

Given the tight state budget, Holmquist wonders if the fifth judge proposal will materialize.

“At the end of the day I don’t think they [the Legislature] will be able to afford to do much of anything,” she said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.