Kalispell reserves boosted by tax-value numbers

Taxable property valuations that were issued Friday confirmed the city of Kalispell's preliminary budget numbers, then went one better.

Finance Director Amy Robertson was busy calculating the city's final mill levy on Monday.

Barring any changes in numbers from the Montana Department of Revenue, she said the 2009-10 levy will be the same or a little less than in 2008-09.

And, perhaps the best news from Friday's notification:

"That would make cash reserves around $300,000," Robertson said.

The city was the target of criticism for what was projected to be a $130,000 general fund cash reserve when budget belt-tightening got under way in earnest over the winter. Estimates gradually had improved since then, but Friday's valuations solidified the new number.

Robertson said she had estimated growth in the city's newly taxable property at 3 percent when she prepared the draft budget for the fiscal year that started on July 1. The state's number came in just under 4 percent.

"The numbers are pretty good," Robertson said.

"It takes a while for things to get on the tax rolls s. Like Sizzler [the new restaurant in Hutton Ranch Plaza] wasn't on last year, but they're on now," because of the delay between tax billing and tax receipts, she said. "Personally, I'm happy that it was a little better than I estimated."

Kalispell's total taxable property value, according to the new state figures, is $37,959,198. That makes one tax mill in the city worth $37,959.

And it means she can bring proposals back to the City Council for slightly lower mill levies on the Woodland Park swimming pool and the north Kalispell fire station.

"Everybody's sharing in the cost of that," she said of the two mill levies to retire debt from building the facilities.

The pool, built in 2002, started out on taxpayers' assessments at 12 mills and gradually worked its way downward. With Friday's new numbers, she will propose a 7.5-mill pool levy.

The fire station levy started out at 10.5 mills after it was built in 2004. Robertson said she will propose a 7-mill levy for the new budget year.

Kalispell's preliminary general fund budget stands at $9,108,115 right now. The city's total budget is $47,189,429.

On top of that total budget number are two more budgets - $134,318 for the parking commission and $130,000 for the downtown business improvement district.

They are component units separate from the city, Robertson explained, that have their own boards and could take their money and do their own bookkeeping. For efficiency's sake, the city handles that and charges them administrative fees.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on a final budget with the new numbers at its Sept. 8 meeting. Final mill levies have to be turned in to the county by Sept. 17.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com