Butte-Silver Bow treasurer details tax collection, staffing and technology gaps

Lori Baker Patrick, Butte-Silver Bow County treasurer, described the treasurer's office as the county’s fiscal agent and outlined a wide range of duties from property-tax billing to motor-vehicle transactions during an interview with the county study commission.

Patrick told commissioners the office handles property-tax billing and collection, motor vehicle functions, accounts for the county’s school-district finances and serves as a point of contact with the Montana Department of Revenue. “The treasurer is basically, responsible for the collection of property taxes,” she said.

Why it matters: the treasurer’s office controls cash flows that fund schools, public safety and numerous special districts. Operational changes at the state level — and local choices about billing, notification and technology — affect how much revenue reaches those jurisdictions and how quickly.

Patrick said the office has nine employees and described a long list of day-to-day responsibilities and…