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Helena City Council approves FY2026 budget, including four employee pay adjustments
Summary
The Helena City Council adopted Resolution 01262026-FY26 on Jan. 26, 2026, approving the FY2026 budget and unanimously approving four market-rate pay adjustments for employees; council members said the new budget format will make financial information clearer for future reporting.
Helena — The Helena City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 26 to adopt Resolution 01262026-FY26, the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, approving a document Mayor Billy Rosener described as a reorganized, easier-to-read format intended to improve routine financial reporting. Jeff McDaniels moved to approve the resolution, and Andy Healy seconded; the recorded vote was 5–0 in favor.
Mayor Rosener told council members during a pre-council work session that the new budget layout took longer than anticipated to prepare but provides clearer tracking of all funds, including special funds and departmental codes. He said the final budget includes pay adjustments for four employees who are “not currently paid at market value,” and he asked the council to at least approve those raises if it was not ready to vote on the full budget. Council members voiced no opposition to the four raises, and the matter was placed on the regular-meeting agenda.
At the regular meeting later that evening, McDaniels moved to approve Resolution 01262026-FY26; Healy seconded and the motion carried with AYE votes from Cathy Hammann, Andy Healy, Dennis Wilson, Brooke Dodson and Jeff McDaniels, NAY: none. The minutes note that a public-comment slot on the budget listed Matt Herndon as a speaker but include no transcribed remarks from him.
Council members praised staff work on the budget and said the new format should make future updates and line-item questions easier to address. The resolution and vote were recorded in the council minutes; the council adjourned the regular meeting at 6:48 p.m.
