Helena council tentatively adopts 2025 budget, removes proposed pay raises except district court officer

The Helena City Council tentatively approved the city’s 2025 budget after agreeing to remove nearly all of the proposed salary increases, except for a pay adjustment for the district court officer, Mayor Turner said during the meeting.

The council’s discussion centered on the city’s limited cash flow, outstanding vendor and insurance obligations and the need to prioritize payment of existing debts before implementing across-the-board raises. Council members and city finance staff debated whether to use one-time bonuses, COPS grant reimbursements and anticipated revenue changes tied to sanitation and water rate increases as stopgap measures to retain staff.

“Don’t call me at 9 p.m.,” Miss Ramsey (staff member) said in describing the volume of vendor calls about unpaid invoices, adding, “I’ve got probably a million 5 in bills laying on my desk.” She urged caution on long-term salary commitments while the city reduced overdue obligations.

Mayor Turner framed the vote around fiscal stability and said staff would remove the proposed pay increases from the draft budget, except for the district court officer’s starting-pay adjustment. “I’ll take the increases out except for the one person,” Turner said; the council then moved and seconded a motion to approve the budget with that change.

Council members pressed for targeted measures to retain essential staff, especially in police and sanitation. Several members supported giving limited one-time bonuses or grant-funded one-time payments rather than permanent raises, citing pension and long-term cost impacts of increasing base pay. A suggestion from the dais: review cash flow and debt payments in 60–90 days and re-evaluate raises then.

Finance and budget details discussed at the meeting included: a proposed increase across multiple administrative and field positions that the city estimated would total about $19,000 for four specific role adjustments; a police staffing target budgeted at 25 officers; recurring liabilities such as monthly health insurance costs reported at roughly $63,000–$65,000; fleet insurance of about $88,000 and property insurance of about $74,000 due by year-end; a workers’ compensation premium of about $159,000 handled on a payment plan; and an upcoming truck payment of about $93,000. Council members said anticipated sanitation fee and water rate changes should improve cash flow once fully implemented.

Several council members argued the council must finish paying down big-ticket bills before adding recurring payroll commitments. “After we get to a zero balance of what we owe everybody from all the money that we’re getting, then let’s talk about raises,” one council member said during the discussion.

Votes at a glance The council voted on a motion to approve the 2025 budget as revised (removal of all proposed pay increases except for the district court officer). The motion passed on roll call; the transcript records multiple affirmative roll-call responses and no recorded dissent.

- Motion: Approve 2025 budget with removal of proposed pay increases except district court officer adjustment. Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved. Tally (recorded in meeting): yes: 7; no: 0; abstain: 0 (individual roll-call names were not fully recorded in the transcript excerpt provided).

Context and next steps Mayor Turner said he would circulate the revised budget and asked council members to review the edited version for final approval at the next scheduled action. Council members asked staff to return with a clearer cash-flow report and a recommendation on whether targeted, one-time bonuses or other short-term retention payments could be funded without increasing recurring obligations.