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Item 5.
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| City Council Regular | |
| Date: | 06/14/2021 |
| Title: | 1st Reading of 2021 Public Safety Mill Levy Charter Amendment |
| Presented by: | Chris Kukulski, City Administrator |
| Department: | City Hall Administration |
| Presentation: | Yes |
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council hold a public hearing and approve on first reading the attached ordinance amending the Billings City Charter by providing for Section 1.05.2 which establishes an additional permanent, 44 mill levy to fund police, fire, prosecution, code enforcement, municipal court, mental health, addiction prevention and related public safety expenses.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
On May 17, 2021, the Council directed staff to proceed with drafting the required documents for consideration to amend the City Charter adding Section 1.05.2 which provides for a public safety mill levy sufficient to generate approximately $9,200,000.00 to increase investments in fire, police, code enforcement, prosecution, court, mental health and addiction prevention services. The City has experienced significant increases in crime rates and calls for public safety services over the past decade.
The proposed public safety mill levy (PSML) will provide critical resources needed to implement strategies each department has developed to accomplish the Council's #1 priority to make Billings a safer community. These strategies are aligned with the Center for Public Safety Managements (CPSM) recommendations to efficiently deliver services by our police and fire departments. (see the attached CPSM recommendations). In brief, the police department strategies focus on crime, downtown and traffic safety; the fire department will be implementing the peak medical response teams; prosecution, code enforcement and our 2nd full time judge will improve the criminal justice system to better serve victims and improve our neighborhoods to reduce crime.
Under Section 1.02, the City of Billings Charter has a 74 mill levy limit. Any mill levy increase above that amount must be approved by voters. Section 1.02, City Charter. The Charter can be amended in several ways including by direction of the City Council through an ordinance. Section 7-3-103(2)(b), Montana Code Annotated, ( MCA).
Under the direction of City Administrator Kukulski, Mayor Cole, Council Members Neese, Choriki, Shaw and staff have been drafting the required Ordinance and related Resolution with ballot language. Both the ordinance and resolution are required legal documents necessary to amend the city charter for voter approval through the 2021 general election. The attached Ordinance is the product of this Committee's work.
This Ordinance amending the City Charter is scheduled to be approved at First Reading and Public Hearing June 14, 2021, followed by approval of the Ordinance on Second Reading together with a ballot language Resolution on June 28, 2021. The Resolution contains the actual ballot language which will be presented to voters and will be referred to Yellowstone County Elections Administrator for a special mail ballot election. This Ordinance is the first of two steps necessary to place this public safety mill levy before the voters November 2, 2021.
The proposed public safety mill levy (PSML) will provide critical resources needed to implement strategies each department has developed to accomplish the Council's #1 priority to make Billings a safer community. These strategies are aligned with the Center for Public Safety Managements (CPSM) recommendations to efficiently deliver services by our police and fire departments. (see the attached CPSM recommendations). In brief, the police department strategies focus on crime, downtown and traffic safety; the fire department will be implementing the peak medical response teams; prosecution, code enforcement and our 2nd full time judge will improve the criminal justice system to better serve victims and improve our neighborhoods to reduce crime.
Under Section 1.02, the City of Billings Charter has a 74 mill levy limit. Any mill levy increase above that amount must be approved by voters. Section 1.02, City Charter. The Charter can be amended in several ways including by direction of the City Council through an ordinance. Section 7-3-103(2)(b), Montana Code Annotated, ( MCA).
Under the direction of City Administrator Kukulski, Mayor Cole, Council Members Neese, Choriki, Shaw and staff have been drafting the required Ordinance and related Resolution with ballot language. Both the ordinance and resolution are required legal documents necessary to amend the city charter for voter approval through the 2021 general election. The attached Ordinance is the product of this Committee's work.
This Ordinance amending the City Charter is scheduled to be approved at First Reading and Public Hearing June 14, 2021, followed by approval of the Ordinance on Second Reading together with a ballot language Resolution on June 28, 2021. The Resolution contains the actual ballot language which will be presented to voters and will be referred to Yellowstone County Elections Administrator for a special mail ballot election. This Ordinance is the first of two steps necessary to place this public safety mill levy before the voters November 2, 2021.
STAKEHOLDERS
ALTERNATIVES
• Hold the public hearing and approve the attached Ordinance on First Reading adding an additional public safety mill levy in City Charter Section 1.05.2, or;
• Modify the Ordinance, or, Disapprove the Ordinance
• Modify the Ordinance, or, Disapprove the Ordinance
FISCAL EFFECTS
If voters approve the proposed Charter amendment, it is estimated to generate an additional $9,200,000 to help support police, fire and related services.