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 revenue estimates.

Most important facts

- Staffing: Commissioners endorsed adding a GIS technician (grade 9) on July 1 and funding a short‑term paid intern through June 30 (about $4,800 including benefits). Ken said the intern would focus heavily on addressing work and that some addressing fund carryforward could be used.

- Budget line shifts: Addressing fuel and mileage were moved into the GIS budget so the addressing line shows almost no fuel expense; plotter paper and copier maintenance were highlighted as capital/operating needs.

- Equipment and software: Ken reported recent capital spending of roughly $6,002 for an equipment package and listed a $20,000+ capital expenditure for other systems. He said some off‑site record storage fees are assessed by state services and will appear in the budget.

- Revenue concerns: Staff reported addressing revenue lagging year‑to‑date and said the addressing revenue projection will be revised down (Ken suggested reducing the addressing revenue estimate) because family transfers and seasonal patterns have lowered address sales. On GIS recording‑fee revenue (the county’s share from recorded document page fees), staff noted a change in the state fee allocation and uncertainty about how recently increased per‑page amounts have been reflected in county accounting; Ken said the GIS revenue estimate will be revised downward pending confirmation from the clerk and recorder.

- Travel and training: The GIS budget includes conference travel and membership dues for professional GIS organizations; commissioners questioned the travel line and accepted that an out‑of‑area conference (Billings) can raise lodging and mileage costs.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: Commissioners and staff discussed plotter paper prices, operating supplies, motor pool expenses, the cost and timing of software and capital purchases, and whether to add fuel back into the addressing line item. Staff explained how addressing revenues are driven by subdivisions and family transfers and noted that sales taper in winter.

- Direction/assignment: Ken was asked to revise revenue estimates for addressing and GIS and to clarify which recording‑fee increases are already passing through to the GIS fund.

- Formal action: Commissioners approved the staffing request (third technician) and indicated support for a temporary intern funded from available addressing fund carryforward and other budget adjustments.

Clarifying details and constraints

- The proposed intern would run from mid‑May through the end of the fiscal year (June 30); estimated cost with benefits: about $4,800.

- The new technician is budgeted at grade 9; commissioners discussed a possible step increase to grade 10 after probation for extraordinary performance but emphasized the typical practice is to budget at a given grade for a year.

- Addressing revenues: staff reported $4,500 collected so far in the current year (about three quarters through the year) against a previously budgeted $6,000; Ken said he would revise the estimate (examples discussed ranged from $5,500 down to $6,000 or lower depending on updated counts).

- GIS recording revenue: staff reported an apparent mismatch between expected revenue from increased recording fees and actual receipts (the county receives half of a per‑page allocation under state law); staff will follow up with the clerk and recorder.

Quotes restricted to present speakers

- “I would like to hire a third person in our department on July 1. GIS technician 1, grade 9,” Ken said.

- On the intern: “That is a grama 8 … from mid‑May to June … and that’s assuming you’re approving the other position starting July 1,” Ken said.

What’s next

Staff will revise GIS and addressing revenue estimates and return final numbers as part of the county’s budget adoption process. The commissioners approved the staffing additions in concept and directed staff to reconcile recording‑fee pass‑through and addressing sales data before finalizing the appropriation.

Ending note

The budget discussion combined routine operating purchases and travel with personnel and revenue uncertainty; commissioners endorsed adding capacity but asked staff to bring clarified revenue estimates and final costs before budget adoption.