Episode Details

Great Falls is facing a tight fiscal crunch as it unveils a $183 million draft budget for 2027, hanging in the balance due to delayed state property valuations and sweeping new tax laws from last year’s session. Senate Bill 117 and other 2025 reforms have slashed cities’ ability to collect tax revenue from new properties and limited automatic tax hikes, forcing officials to rely on dwindling reserves — a move they warn is unsustainable. While major development projects loom on the horizon, years of lag time mean no immediate cash infusion. To plug the gap, the city’s launched a special investment fund funded by higher utility fees. With COVID aid gone and a failed public safety levy adding pressure, the city commission will decide the final budget at a public hearing on August 4th, with a vote set for August 18th.

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