Kalispell City Council on Monday signaled its support for levying nearly the full amount of property taxes allowed under state law as the municipality grapples with a growing backlog of maintenance and capital projects.  

As the body nears adoption of its $189 million proposed budget, councilors also discussed the effectiveness of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes that several residents have requested for municipal buildings and how the Kalispell Police Department would use license plate reader technology to enforce parking. 

The city’s general fund expenditures are projected to reach about $17.9 million, with an expected $9 million in revenue from property taxes.   

In past years, Council has alternated between levying the maximum number of mills allowable and holding some in reserve. Last year, Council levied 165 mills, one mill less than allowed, and directed about $600,000 into a capital fund for a new city equipment garage. The year before, councilors chose to direct 10 mills toward savings.  

Leaving some mills unlevied can reduce property taxes, providing relief given recent changes to state property tax law that have led to higher tax bills for some homeowners and commercial property owners.  

On the other hand, the city faces a growing list of deferred maintenance and capital projects that are only becoming more expensive the longer they go unaddressed. City Manager Jarod Nygren warned that delaying those undertakings could force the city to ask taxpayers for more money down the road.  

For example, Nygren said the city has plans to replace dilapidated playground equipment, some of which is being held together with plywood, but funding has been unavailable.  

“It’s very interesting when you look at our general budget versus other cities in the state, and you see kind of how far we are behind. It shows why it’s so difficult for us to even add a [full-time employee], add fire, add police,” Nygren said. 

Nygren said the city’s budget has grown at only about half the rate of inflation, so forgoing levying the full amount of mills may put the city even further behind.  

“Have we strangled ourselves too much and not kept up?” Nygren said. 

While the city will not receive updated property valuations until August, Nygren used last year’s figures to estimate the impact of a one-mill levy. Under those estimates, one mill would add about $2.28 per month to the tax bill of a $300,000 home, $3.04 per month for a $400,000 home, $4.69 per month for a $550,000 home — Kalispell’s median home price — and $7.44 per month for a $800,000 home.  

Using his home as an example, Nygren said the value of a single mill on his tax bill would be $3.16 per month. If the city shelved 10 mills, that would amount to roughly $31 in monthly savings.  

“The question is, is that $31 in savings, which is real, worth sacrificing some of the capital needs the city of Kalispell has that are continuing to escalate?” Nygren asked councilors.   

Councilors appeared willing to levy just under the allowable limit to bring in money that could be shunted to capital projects. Mayor Ryan Hunter suggested levying one mill under the allowable amount. 

“I think that if we have the opportunity to take money aside in order to do the deferred maintenance, I believe the people of Kalispell are interested in seeing their tax dollars be invested in their community,” Councilor Dustin Leftridge said. 

“I like that happy medium of putting things in the cupboard, but I also don’t want to do that at the detriment of safety of our staff in their work environment,” said Councilor Sam Nunnally. 

SOME COUNCILORS questioned the effectiveness of Safe Haven Baby Boxes after some Flathead Valley residents urged the city to install them at Kalispell’s fire stations.  

The secure, climate-controlled bassinets, which are intended to allow mothers an opportunity to surrender their newborns anonymously, would cost around $140,000 to install at the city’s forthcoming fire station, not including long-term maintenance, according to Nygren. 

Councilor Lisa Blank said that the facility does not account for the needs of the mother.  

“I’d love to see this money go toward the wider community, given that the data just doesn’t suggest we need this right now,” she said.  

Hunter said there is no data on whether a baby has ever been abandoned and left exposed to the elements in Kalispell. He argued that baby boxes can deprive mothers of contact with medical professionals, preventing them from providing important medical history or discussing their decisions before surrendering a child.  

Nygren said he’s in talks with the architectural consultants of the new fire station on potential alternatives to a baby box.  

TWO PEOPLE during public comment urged Council against investing in license plate reader technology, arguing that it would be used as a tool to monitor individuals and violate their privacy.  

Councilors assured critics that the technology will only be reading license plates to enforce parking downtown. The city budgeted $70,000 for the software.  

Council is expected to decide whether to adopt the final budget on Aug. 17.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.