MISSOULA — On Monday night, the Missoula City Council voted to approve the City of Missoula's 2027 budget, with a 3.8% property tax increase, but no changes to City services.
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Mayor Andrea Davis presented her budget outline in late July, calling it the "Big Boring Budget.”
This is largely because there are no major changes to how the city will operate in 2027, with the property tax increase mainly going to increasing city staff wages.
Wages take up roughly 80% of the city’s total budget, with police and fire taking the majority.
During the final discussions of the budget, council member Gwen Jones noted that the tax increase the city is seeing is not unique, as other cities across Montana are in similar situations.
“We're all doing the same thing. All of these big eight cities are doing the same. We're working so hard to provide essential services and yet having to raise taxes. That means it's structural. It's not, Missoula is not an outlier at all. This is happening across the country,” said Jones.
Council member Kristen Jordan also introduced an amendment, which sought to fund a study on making Missoula’s parks pesticide-free.
The amendment ultimately passed, with the funding mechanism being left to the parks department, which will now be under the direction to use any costs saved to fund the study.
Something that several community members of the public were in support of.
“Missoula citizens have called for organic parks for at least nine years, and I have seen very little improve in that time. Please approve this budget amendment. I want to see things change for the better, and this is our chance to do that,” said one member of the public.
Future amendments to the budget may be done as needed, but they'll need to go through a public hearing process.
