The U.S. Senate passed a bill that contains $12.2 million in funding for several Montana projects, including appropriations for both the town of St. Ignatius and the St. Ignatius Police Department.  

The funding was announced Friday in a press release from U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, who has been a proponent.  

The town of St. Ignatius put in applications for federal funds through U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke and Senators Sheehy and Steve Daines to help them replace their deteriorating sewer pipes. This is a $5.8 million project that St. Ignatius is struggling to find funds for, according to previous Lake County Leader reporting.  

According to the press release from Sheehy’s office, the bill contains $4.6 million for Mission’s wastewater system along with $185,000 for new patrol cars for the police department.  

“That’s freaking incredible,” St. Ignatius Mayor Daren Incashola said as the Leader told him the news.  

Incashola said this is a big deal for the town, and a lot of people have put in a lot of work for this. He explained that local citizens and business owners wrote letters in support of this project.  

“I didn't think it'd ever get this far, to be honest. So, I'm pretty stoked,” Incashola said.  

Police Chief Jason Acheson said this will allow the department to purchase at least two patrol cars. These vehicles can range from $60,000 to $70,000, according to Acheson.  

He explained that when he put the application together, he was projecting three cars, but prices have increased so he is unsure if he’ll be able to purchase that many. Acheson said they are going to be very methodical about how they use their funds.  

The bill is headed to President Donald Trump’s and must be signed before funds are distributed.  

“I'm still apprehensive. It hasn't been signed, but we're very excited and optimistic to see what develops next,” Acheson said. “This is a major development for our department in our communities, especially given our financial difficulties.”  

Incashola explained that they have to match a certain amount of these federal funds, which shouldn’t be difficult for the police vehicles. He said they have been making plans to match funds in general, so they will be working with the city's engineer and grant writing to secure matching dollars.  

The town and police department were still waiting Friday afternoon for official notice from Sheehy’s office. 

“It's not like this stuff is guaranteed. You just never know. So, this is kind of like a little late Christmas miracle coming true,” Acheson said.