Kalispell City Council reviews fire and police budgets

The Kalispell City Council pored over the preliminary budgets on Monday for the police, fire and ambulance, and parks and recreation departments.

The city’s proposed $15.5 million operating budget, up from $14.1 million last year, largely goes toward public safety and emergency services. The Police Department’s proposed budget totals $6.7 million, an 8.61% increase over the previous year’s budget, while the Fire Department’s proposed budget comes in at $4.8 million, a 4.89% increase.

The police department is looking to add three squad cars, including one undercover vehicle, according to a briefing by outgoing Chief Doug Overman.

Also included in next year’s additions is a Labrador retriever K-9 unit, which is expected to join the force in June.

The total proposed budget for the city comes in at just under $139 million. Last year’s budget totaled $115.4 million.

The budget includes some funds from opioid settlements, the reception of which was described as a surprise by City Manager Doug Russell. He anticipates the city to get around $16,000 per year for up to around 20 years, which he is hoping will be pooled with the portion received by the county to continue their joint co-responder mental health stabilization program.

The program is currently funded by a state grant, but local leaders have been looking for a revenue source to keep it going.

The fire department is looking to upgrade its radio systems and upgrade the chassis on a fire truck, according to Chief Dan Pearce.

The ambulance service is funded almost entirely by Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, according to Pearce, although low rates and unpaid bills mean that expenses are passed on to city taxpayers.

Mayor Mark Johnson described the roughly $800,000 funding gap for ambulance services that result as a “bitter pill to swallow,” but said that he thought it was a critical local service and preferred taxpayers footing the bill to a privatized ambulance service outside of the city’s control. He also pointed out that the projected number is less than the over $1 million that taxpayers paid only a few years ago.

The parks department's $4 million budget looks much the same as in previous years, with a previously ratified uptick in certain recreation and permitting fees boosting the department’s revenues.

New expenses for the department this year include higher prices on vehicle fuel and natural gas for pool heating, a new garage to maintain their fleet of vehicles, and roughly $20,000 to implement a new online reservation and registration system, according to department head Chad Fincher.

Fincher said the new program would minimize phone calls and printouts, as well as allow the community to sign up for department programs outside of regular business hours.

The city won’t adopt the final budget until property valuations come in from the state. Those numbers typically arrive in mid-August.

COUNCIL ALSO approved the final plat for the third phase of the Bloomstone development, which is located at 1070 Treeline Road on the north side of town. The project is slated to include 47 single-family homes on approximately 10 acres.

The council meets again on Monday, June 5.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.