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Libby Park District and county staff debate ballot language for proposed levy to fund aquatic facility operations
Summary
County staff and park-district representatives discussed draft ballot language for a proposed Libby Park District special levy to raise about $64,500 (approx. four mills as drafted), debating whether to state mills or a dollar amount, and removing bond-language; county staff asked for final language by month-end for legal review.
Park board members and county staff discussed draft ballot language on Jan. 7 for a Libby Park District special levy intended to raise roughly $64,500 to operate an aquatic facility constructed in 2025.
Park-district representatives and county staff reviewed alternative ballot wording and applicable new state law that encourages listing a specific dollar amount rather than mill levies to reduce voter confusion. Staff and commissioners said the ballot should omit a prior paragraph that linked a bond issuance to the levy and clarified that the levy would apply only within the Libby School District 4 boundaries. A draft in the meeting contained sample homeowner impacts (about $5.40 per $100,000 of assessed value at the originally drafted four-mill estimate) and the board discussed whether to present mills or a dollar figure in the final version.
County staff directed the park-district representative to deliver a clean draft of the language to county staff by the end of the month so the county attorney can review it and staff can prepare a resolution to place the measure on the ballot.
Commissioners stressed compliance with recent statutory changes and the need for precise ballot language so voters receive clear information about the amount proposed and the area that would be taxed.
