Lincoln County commissioners authorize May mail ballot for Libby Park District mill levy

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 9 to authorize the county election department to conduct an all-mail ballot on May 5, 2026, for a proposed Libby Park District mill levy that would raise an estimated $74,000 a year to manage parks, trails and an aquatic facility in Libby.

Commissioner Hammonds read Resolution 20267 to open the special meeting, saying the Libby Park District had filed to place a property-tax measure on the 2026 ballot because current funding is insufficient to operate the aquatic facility in accordance with Montana health and safety requirements. "Shall the Libby Park District, Lincoln County, Montana, be authorized to impose a mill levy with no duration limit on the taxable property in the district in the estimated amount as of the date hereof of approximately $74,000 per year for the purpose of managing and maintaining outdoor recreation facilities and trails assigned to the district and the aquatic facility constructed near the fish pond in Libby, Montana?" he read.

The resolution and the reading emphasized that the proposed levy is to be placed before voters and that it "will not be an addition to the district's existing levy," which the reading described as generating about $11,500 annually. The resolution included estimates of taxpayer impact: roughly $5.39 a year for a $100,000 home, $16.18 for a $300,000 home and $32.36 for a $600,000 home, tied to the $74,000 revenue estimate.

Commissioners discussed why the district chose a dollar amount rather than millage and reviewed recent changes in how mill value is reported, saying that presenting a fixed dollar estimate can be clearer for voters. A staff member explained that prior annual receipts had fluctuated (noted in the meeting as near $9,000 a few years ago and $11,500 this year).

The board opened the meeting for public comment and received none. A motion to authorize the Lincoln County Election Department to run the special purpose district election as an all-mail election on May 5, 2026, was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; three commissioners voted "I," and none opposed.

The action before the board authorized county staff to place the question on the May ballot; it did not itself impose the levy or change tax rates. The meeting adjourned after the vote.

What happens next: the question will appear on the May 5, 2026 all-mail ballot conducted with the school election; if approved by voters the district would impose the levy to generate the estimated funds for park and aquatic facility operations as described in the ballot language.