The Columbia Falls City Council on Sept. 8 approved the final fiscal 2026-27 year budget and added a few items along the way.

One item included a $108,000 State Homeland Security Program grant to buy two emergency generators for the Fire Department and City Hall. The generators are expected to provide power in the event of an emergency or sustained outage.

For example, if there’s a natural disaster, the two entities could provide citizens a hub to recharge devices and reach the internet via satellite. 

The city also moved a new pavilion for Pinewood Park into the 2027 budget. The park will see several major upgrades, including a new fitness park and improved parking. The fitness park is paid for, in part, by an $80,000 National Fitness Campaign and Montana Blue Cross Blue Shield grant. 

The park's 25-year-old pool will receive a new liner at a cost of just over $150,000, with an installation cost of $205,000 by Prestige Aquatics. Pinewood will also see a new basketball court and playground equipment.

The work will be financed through tax increment funds, which are $1.65 million for the downtown district alone. That funding, however, won’t be around forever. The Urban Renewal District expires at the end of 2029.

The city’s total budget, which includes sewer and water, is $26.422 million, an increase of 12.5%. 

The city’s taxable value increased from about $14.2 million to $16.6 million for tax year 2026, reflecting continued community investment and development. At the same time, the Council reduced the overall mill levy from 148.44 mills to 140.64 mills due to growth in taxable value and the continued use of resort tax revenues to offset property taxes.

Some other projects planned for the remainder of this year and next include:

• Fixing street drainage at Meadow Lake Boulevard and Woodlawn Cemetery. The cost is expected to be $500,000. The city will also look to fix drainage issues at Talbot Road and Fourth Avenue West. That project could cost $900,000.

• Left-hand green turn signals at Meadow Lake Boulevard, Fourth Avenue West, Sixth Avenue West, 12th Avenue West (westbound only).

From a streets perspective, the city purchased a new piece of equipment called an Asphalt Zipper that reclaims deteriorating asphalt so the city can fix its streets without having to completely tear them up and resurface them. The zipper cost about $250,000 and a new loader tractor at $75,000 will be used to mount the zipper on.

Most homeowners will see a property tax decrease from this budget due to the resort tax rebate and changes in the property tax formula. Secondary homeowners and some commercial properties will see an increase in taxes.

A primary residence assessed for $600,000 this year will see an estimated city general fund tax bill of about $777, a decrease of about $359 over 2025. That’s due to the resort tax rebate and changes in state property tax formulas.

A $600,000 second home, or short-term rental, will see a tax increase of $558.54.