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By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

HELENA – The Helena City Council approved a $12.5 million budget for the 2025 fiscal year at a city council meeting on Monday, Sept. 23. The budget features $12,522,700 in estimated revenue and $12,520,645 in expected expenses.

According to Helena Mayor Brian Puckett, the process of creating the budget included months of work behind the scenes and meeting with various city departments to ensure that the needs of the city are met.

“Our goal is to allocate resources effectively, ensuring that all departments have what they need while adhering to prudent financial practices,” Puckett said. “As we have demonstrated over the past four years, our approach remains steadfastly focused on fiscal responsibility aiming to secure Helena’s growth today and years to come.”

Puckett shared that one major factor influencing the budget this year is the annexation of the Indian Ford Fire District.

Residents of the Indian Ford Fire District voted in favor of being annexed into the city of Helena on Sept. 12, 2023. This move introduced new revenue to the city, but since Helena expanded its services, the need for more personal has become apparent.

In the FY 2025 budget, the city has accounted for future personnel requests to amount to $204,639 for six new firemedics, three new police officers, two full-time staff members for the Parks and Recreation Department, one part-time staff member for the library and one full-time staff member for inspections.

According to Puckett, both emergency departments have already started the process of recruiting new employees.

“The fire department and police department have been actively engaged with new recruits, ready for the fiscal year to start bringing in new people,” Puckett said.

The budget also accounts for a two percent cost of living adjustment to the salary of all city employees.

While the budget was passed at the city council meeting, it did not pass unanimously with councilmembers Laura Joseph and Hal Woodman voting no.

In addition, one resident, Tanner Newhouse, made a public comment expressing that he does not feel that citizens were given adequate time to review the budget before the final vote occurred on Monday, Sept. 23, seven days before the start of the new fiscal year.

“The problem is that we’ve waited so long to review this and to bring this before the Council and to vote on this that there is nothing anyone can say tonight that would have a bearing on the vote tonight,” Newhouse said.

The Helena City Council discussed the budget with departments heads during a work session on Sept. 9, and further discussed and reviewed the budget at a special work session on Sept. 16.

“I’ll just ask that you all give some consideration to passing an ordinance that requires the budget come before you no later than the second meeting in August, so that everybody else has the opportunity to come speak to you,” Newhouse said.

 

The breakdown of the FY 2025 budget by department is as follows:

• Administration: $2,680,185
• Fire: $3,561,994
• Inspections: $296,374
• Library: $390,816
• Parks and Recreation: $1,119,695
• Police: $3,709,207
• Public Works: $762,374

 

Those interested in learning more about Helena’s budget can visit Cityofhelena.org/draft-fy2025-city-of-helena-budget/.