Council adopts a series of budget amendments to accept public-health contracts and grants

Butte-Silver Bow — The Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners moved multiple budget amendments to final reading and passed them during its March 4 meeting, allowing the county to accept and appropriate unanticipated revenues tied to several public-health contracts and programs.

Hattie Thatcher moved each resolution to final reading and Michele Shea seconded; the motions passed unanimously (recorded votes show 11-0). The resolutions included authority to accept funds for the Bridgercare MyWi Lift contract, chronic disease program funding, an H5N1 Influenza A response program, an Intermountain Health grant, and multiple health-department programs including support for syringe-exchange services. Each resolution cites Section 7-6-4006, Montana Code Annotated, as the authority for amending the fiscal-year budget after a public hearing.

The minutes show that the Health Officer, Karen Maloughney, requested scheduling of public hearings related to some budget items (Communications Nos. 2026-99 and 2026-100) and that certain items were held in committee pending those hearings. The resolutions passed on March 4 appropriate previously unanticipated revenue to support the listed programs; the record does not include dollar amounts for each resolution in the minutes.

Council members emphasized that these actions enable the Health Department to accept state and federal program funding and move forward with planned services. No member requested postponement of the final readings recorded in the minutes.