Ravalli County treasurer presents preliminary FY26 budget, seeks modest capital purchases and software fixes

Ravalli County Treasurer Dan presented his preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget to the Board of County Commissioners on May 1, saying the proposed budget is about $10,000 lower than what he requested last year and explaining line-item changes for supplies, postage and software.

Dan said the overall proposal trims costs from last year: “I've tried to reduce my budget, and I've got it down to about 10,000 less than I'd asked for for last year.” He told commissioners he trimmed estimated supply spending after unexpectedly high toner costs in the prior year and expects lower postage now that the state handles most web renewal mailings.

The treasurer’s office reported several specific shifts. The office expects lower postage and printing costs because the state now handles most renewal notices; postage tied to tax-bill mailings remains bundled with printing in the treasurer’s internal accounting. Dan said a recurring subscription cost for accounting software (QuickBooks) will be added this year to replace an older package that no longer receives updates. He also said liquor-license billing timing contributed to a revenue timing issue: several county liquor licenses were billed only at the start of this calendar year rather than in June as in prior years, and most have since been collected.

On capital requests, Dan asked permission to proceed with an order for new customer-height desks and permanently mounted plexiglass for the tax office counter area. He described the proposed package as covering tables, plexiglass mounted more rigidly than the current hanging panels, and installation; the figure cited in the presentation was “$45.42,” which Dan then confirmed included the plexiglass. When asked to prioritize, Dan said, “Honestly, I'd like to have the tables,” citing improved customer-clerk communication as the primary benefit.

Commissioners and staff discussed timing for placing the order; Dan was advised to place the order now so the vendor can build and install after the fiscal year begins. The treasurer also invited county commissioners to participate in a local county treasurers convention in September, and he noted that holding the convention in Ravalli County will reduce travel expenses for his office.

Dan described an ongoing software transition from the county’s prior system (Merlin) to a newer commercial product the treasurer identified by the vendor name “Fast.” He said the new software had a large upfront cost but should simplify training and reduce some recurring costs.

Because the presentation was preliminary, commissioners did not vote on the treasurer’s requests at the May 1 meeting. Dan received direction to proceed with ordering the customer-height tables and to finalize subscription and printing details for the budget packet.

The treasurer said other items — including the timing of mobile-home tax bills, remaining liquor-license collections and a small backlog of delinquent accounts — will be clarified before the final budget.

Looking ahead, Dan asked the board whether the capital request should be charged to the treasurer’s capital allotment or to building capital; commissioners indicated the purchase should come from building capital; Dan was told to start the order process.