Silver Bow County finance committee approves $592,440 expenditure list, reviews transfers and facility revenue

The Silver Bow County Finance and Budget Committee unanimously approved an expenditure list totaling $592,440.12 at its June 18 meeting, then reviewed several budget transfers and received revenue reports for county recreation and event facilities.

The approval came after a brief review of line items. Commissioner Walker questioned a payment listed on page 42 for “fitness instruction,” and was told those are payments through the Board of Recreation under the parks department to pay instructors who lead community exercise classes. Commissioner Walker also raised a separate health-department line item he read as a small charge for a “colonoscopy membership” and said, “We don't give colonoscopies at the health department.” Director Hassler replied that the full vendor name did not fit on the printout and identified it as the American Society of Colonoscopy and Cervical Pathologies, saying the vendor “do[es] that type of service at the department.”

The committee heard a series of budget-transfer items from Director Hassler. Transfers and adjustments presented included: - $80 to the health department to reimburse employee meals related to the Montana Primary Care Association; - $300 for donuts and water for ASSIST suicide-prevention training at the health department; - $16,436 from central equipment to cover a mechanic-union tool reimbursement (one-time check or purchase reimbursement per the mechanics' union contract); - $15,000 from the Water Capital Improvement Fund to cover the remainder of a Water Environmental Technology invoice; - $500 to reclassify travel to training for Society of American Archivists virtual-conference registration at the archives; - $121,258 to purchase performance-management software from Knowledge Capital Alliance for accreditation purposes at the health department; - $22,404 (a separate transfer) also listed to cover the cost of purchasing performance-management software for Knowledge Capital Alliance at the health department; - $1,000 to cover an insurance balance for the Small Business Incubator (SBI); and - $400 to cover travel overages in the URA.

When Commissioner Walker asked whether the county recovers detention-center medical costs from insurance, Director Hassler explained the county requires the medical provider to bill a person’s insurance first and pays only when inmates lack coverage. “If we're making payments for medical services, it is because the inmates don't have coverage elsewhere, and then we're required to make that payment. So we don't receive any reimbursement for those costs. It's part of the cost of operating the detention center,” Director Hassler said.

Director Hassler also presented revenue reports for county facilities. She said Bridgewater's was closed in May and reported no revenue for the month. For Highland View Golf Course she provided two point-of-sale summaries (one for CivicRec in the pro shop and one for Square for bar sales), and said concessions at Highland View totaled $11,654 and golf-simulator rentals were $2,002.43. The Civic Center had concession sales of $11,005.36 for several events, she said. Commissioner O'Leary asked that the reports be emailed to commissioners; Director Hassler agreed to do so.

A motion to approve the expenditure list for June 18, 2025, in the amount of $592,440.12 passed 6-0. The committee adjourned after completing the agenda.