City of Great Falls starts budget process for FY25

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - In Great Falls, the city commissioners were introduced to the budget process at their last work session on May 21. 

Greg Doyon, the city manager, and Melissa Kinzler, the city finance director, presented the overview to commissioners, highlighting four goals and priorities. 

These goals for the Fiscal Year 2025 budget include: 

• Public Safety
• Housing
  • Encourage/facilitate infill development; consider options and best practices
  • Continue to explore options (grant writing/legislature) to facilitate affordable housing and full spectrum of housing
  • Discuss camping ordinance and low barrier options with Continuum of Care group (two-four year plan)
• Economic Development
  • Streamlining zoning and permitting
  • Attracting primary sector businesses
  • Discussing ties between economic development to infrastructure and public safety
• Growth Plan

"I've heard it from some folks that had come into the downtown that live in Cascade and then more recently... there were many people from all over the state, many of which had never been here... And the statement is, what are you doing in your downtown anyways? It's really cool, exciting to be here. We're going to come back," said Doyon. 

While the budget overview is just the start of the process, they also looked at budget drivers, a general fund history, general fund revenue increases, updated tax increment districts, and a timeline. 

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"We're at about 15% of the way in the process," said Kinzler. 

When you take a look at the timeline, the city's presentation had it detailed out like this: 

• January/February 2024
  • Commission goals/priorities retreat
• April 2024
  • Departments begin developing requested budgets
• May 2024
  • Departments submit final budget requests
• June 2024
  • Meetings between city manager and departments on requested budgets
  • Proposed budget is balanced and finalized
  • General fund proposed budget presented at work session (June 18)
  • Additional proposed budget meetings?
• July 2024
  • Proposed budget presented at work session (July 2)
  • Set the public hearing (July 2)
  • Public hearing (July 16)
• August 2024
  • Certified taxable values received from MT Department of Revenue
  • Adopt annual tax levies (August 20)
• September 2024
  • Preparation of final budget document

"We have to present that to the state by October 1, so this is just a very tentative outline of the budget process right now as we have it set," said Kinzler. 

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