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Lewistown reconstitutes TIF advisory committee under new state law; three local appointments confirmed
Summary
The Lewistown City Commission approved Resolution No. 4213 to redesignate the Tax Increment Financing board as the Lewistown Tax Increment Finance Advisory Committee under recent state changes and confirmed county and school-district representatives, including Megan Bartell and Carson Sweeney.
The Lewistown City Commission on Nov. 18 approved Resolution No. 4213 to redesignate the Lewistown Tax Increment Financing Board as the Lewistown Tax Increment Finance Advisory Committee, implementing changes the city said stem from recent state legislation requiring broader taxing-agency representation.
City Manager Holly Phelps told the commission the 2025 legislative changes (referred to several times as Senate Bill 3 during the discussion) require that taxing jurisdictions whose revenues are part of a TIF district—including school districts and counties—have representation on the advisory body because those jurisdictions forgo tax revenue while a district is active. The commission discussed the updated board makeup and the rough boundaries of the TIF district, described by staff as roughly from the junior high down to High Street, up First Avenue South and tied into the truck bypass and local elevators.
Commissioners voted to adopt the resolution after clarifying the resolution number (staff noted the document's printed number was incorrect and confirmed it is Resolution 4213). The vote was called by roll call and was recorded as affirmative for the present commissioners.
As part of implementing the new board structure, the commission also approved the nominee list brought forward by the TIF board and related bodies. The commission affirmed Megan Bartell to serve as the Fergus County representative on the Lewistown Tax Increment Finance Advisory Committee; staff said Bartell had served on the TIF board previously and had been approved by the county. The commission likewise appointed Carson Sweeney as the School District No. 1 representative; staff said Sweeney had been attending board meetings, was a member of the school board and had been approved at the district level.
Why it matters: Tax increment financing captures growth in property tax revenue within a district and applies that increment to eligible projects. By adding explicit seats for county and school-district representatives, the city is seeking to ensure those taxing jurisdictions have a formal advisory voice over how increment dollars are used.
The commission concluded the item after the roll-call votes. Staff said the advisory committee would be staffed and those members will be brought into future TIF deliberations.
