Cut Bank council adopts preliminary 2025–26 budget, approves series of levy resolutions

The Cut Bank City Council approved a set of levy resolutions and adopted a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2025–26 during its Sept. 8, 2025 meeting, and continued the public hearing on the preliminary budget to Sept. 22, 2025.

The meeting chair opened the session by saying, “This is the time and place to take public comment for the preliminary budget for 2025 to 2026.” The clerk treasurer confirmed the hearing notice had been published in the Pioneer Press on Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, satisfying the two-week notice requirement.

After taking public comment and hearing none relevant to the hearing, the council voted to continue the formal public hearing to Sept. 22, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., pursuant to Montana Code Annotated section 7-6-4024(3). A council member moved to continue the hearing and the motion carried on voice vote.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: Minutes from Aug. 18; payroll summary dated Aug. 28 for $107,564.10; claims through Sept. 5 for $172,674.51 (warrants 63,474–63,522). Approved by voice vote. - Resolution (identified in meeting materials) repealing the prior fire-department levy resolution and restarting the levy process to conform to newly changed state mill/ballot language. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution to permanently levy additional funds for capital needs of the fire department. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution levying voted mills as required by state law (as listed in the packet). Approved by voice vote. - Resolution of intent to fund capital needs for the police department. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution of intent to levy a special assessment to defray maintenance costs for streets, avenues, alleys and districts 1–4. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution of intent to levy a special assessment for electrical current and lighting districts. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution opting for additional permissive medical levies for employer group health insurance for FY2026. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution funding Park Maintenance District 1 for the City of Cut Bank. Approved by voice vote. - Resolution adopting a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2025–26. Approved after discussion of several line-item increases and capital projects.

Budget discussion highlights Council members and department heads discussed specific line items during the budget review. Items noted in the meeting record included an increase in the professional services line (from $18,000 to $36,000) to cover outside legal and specialty work, a $15,000 increase for dilapidated-building remediation in facilities administration, a $50,000 increase in building materials (preparation for potential capital projects such as a Civic Center parking-lot roof), and a water-project construction-in-progress item (approximately $1.54 million) that is being covered by grants and loans. Staff presented a loan-payoff option (payoff amount and interest noted) and discussed sewer operating fund budgeting to maintain required enterprise fund cash ratios.

City attorney reported that a property nuisance matter has moved into the abatement process; if the city abates the property, abatement costs will be assessed to the property taxes. Public works reported progress on landfill operations, wastewater plant testing, and chip-seal streetwork.

What happens next The public hearing on the preliminary budget was continued to Sept. 22, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. for further public input. The council recorded approvals by voice vote for the packet resolutions and the preliminary budget; the meeting materials contain the resolution numbers and the council directed staff to proceed with the public-notice and ballot-preparation steps now that the preliminary budget and intent resolutions were approved.