Ravalli County commissioners review GIS and addressing budget, approve new technician and short-term intern funding

Ravalli County commissioners on May 7 approved a preliminary GIS/addressing budget that includes a new full‑time GIS technician to start July 1 and a temporary paid intern through the end of the fiscal year.

In a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners, a county GIS staff member, Ken, outlined operating items — plotter paper, ink, copier maintenance, software and site record storage — and said he wanted a third staffer funded for the new fiscal year and an intern (grade 8) for mid‑May to June at a total cost with benefits of about $4,800 for the current fiscal year. “I would like to hire a third person in our department on July 1. GIS technician 1, grade 9,” Ken said. He also told commissioners he had added an intern pay line to bridge the gap until the new hire started.

Why it matters: the GIS and addressing programs provide mapping, address issuance and record services used across county departments; staffing choices affect how quickly the office can respond to public requests and maintain critical datasets.

The nut graf: Commissioners approved the staffing additions after hearing that the addressing fund has a carryforward balance and that much of the addressing fuel budget was consolidated into the GIS budget. At the same time, staff said projected revenues tied to addressing sales and a recording‑fee allocation for GIS are below last year’s pace and staff will revise…