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Commissioners table Cut Bank airport mill-levy resolution while lawyers, election language are clarified
Summary
Glacier County commissioners tabled Resolution 2026-03, a countywide levy proposed by the Cut Bank Regional Airport Authority to raise about $90,000 a year, after questions about whether the ballot should show a mill rate or a dollar amount and whether the levy is perpetual; staff will return revised language at the Feb. 3 meeting.
Rick Geiger, representing the Cut Bank Regional Airport Authority, presented Resolution 2026-03, a proposal to place a countywide levy on the ballot to raise roughly $90,000 per year for airport operations, maintenance and grant-matching funds.
Geiger told the board that much of the airport’s infrastructure dates to the 1940s and that the authority seeks a steady revenue stream to pay for maintenance projects that the FAA does not cover. “This would be for maintenance and other projects at the airport,” Geiger said, explaining the authority’s plan to seek state and FAA grant dollars and to use local levy proceeds for local matches and out-of-pocket work.
Commissioners pressed for clarity about existing FAA and state aeronautics allotments, how those funds are held, and how much a local match would be. Geiger said FAA funding can cover up to 90 percent for qualifying runway work but that terminal or non-public-use building upgrades can trigger a smaller federal share, leaving larger local costs. He described an engineer’s estimate of about $500,000 for runway resurfacing and said the airport’s expected local share for that particular project could be about 5 percent this year.
The board focused on ballot language after staff and members noted a recent change in state practice: elections now typically list a dollar amount rather than a mill rate. The resolution as drafted used both kinds of language (a 2.5 mill levy and a $90,000 target). Commissioners asked whether the levy was intended to be perpetual and whether the resolution should instead specify a recurring dollar amount or an explicit cap.
With statutory filing deadlines approaching, commissioners directed the airport authority to work with county and city attorneys to clarify whether the ballot should list a mill rate or dollar amount and to state explicitly whether the levy would be perpetual. Commissioner [unnamed] moved to table Resolution 2026-03 so staff could obtain legal and election-office guidance; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The item was set to return to the board on Feb. 3 for final action.
The chair closed the discussion by noting the board’s interest in giving voters clear information. Geiger said he will revise the language as requested and deliver updated documents to county staff and counsel.
Action taken: The board tabled Resolution 2026-03 (Cut Bank Regional Airport mill-levy election) and asked that county and city attorneys review and confirm the appropriate ballot wording and whether the levy is perpetual. The motion to table was moved by Commissioner (speaker 1) and seconded by Commissioner (speaker 2); the board voted in favor by voice vote.
What’s next: The airport authority will work with county counsel on revised ballot language and return the resolution to the commissioners at their Feb. 3 meeting for possible placement on the ballot.
