Regular 2.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 06/08/2020
- TITLE
- First Reading and Public Hearing On Ordinance Amending City of Billings Charter By Repealing and Replacing Section 1.05.1 To Provide 60 Mills for Publ
- Department:
- Legal
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve on First Reading and Public Hearing the attached Ordinance Amending the the City of Billings Charter by providing for the repeal of current Section 1.05.1 and replacing the same with a new Section 1.05.1 which establishes a permanent, non-cumulative 60 mill levy to fund Fire, Police and related public safety expenses.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
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).
On May 18, 2020, the Council directed staff to proceed with drafting the required documents to repeal and replace current City Charter Section 1.05.1 which provides for a public safety mill levy sufficient to generate $8,200,000. This levy was approved by voters in 2004 and is often referred to as Public Safety 2 or PS 2. At the time voters approved this additional funding in 2004, it was estimated that a levy of 60 mills would be required to generate the $8,200,000. The 2004 mill levy is capped at the $8,200,000. Sixty mills in 2020 is estimated to raise $12,240,000 and therefore generating more money to help support police, fire and related services. The proposed 2020 public safety mill evy is capped at 60 mills. As the value of a mill changes the amount of money raised will also change. This will help offset inflation and help public safety departments retain and continue their current levels of services.
Under the direction of City Administrator Kukulski, Mayor Cole, Council Members Neese and Choriki 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 Public Safety Mill levy for voter approval through a special mail ballot election. The attached Ordinance is the product of this Committee's work.
The required documents amending the City Charter were later presented to the Council for further review and discussion at its May 27, 2020, worksession. During that meeting the Council directed staff to proceed with placing these documents before the Council at a Regular business meeting for consideration and approval.
In order for any levy request to impact the FY 2021 City budget, this Ordinance amending the City Charter must be approved at First Reading and Public Hearing no later than June 8, 2020, followed by approval of the Ordinance on Second Reading together with a ballot language Resolution on June 22, 2020. 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.
On May 18, 2020, the Council directed staff to proceed with drafting the required documents to repeal and replace current City Charter Section 1.05.1 which provides for a public safety mill levy sufficient to generate $8,200,000. This levy was approved by voters in 2004 and is often referred to as Public Safety 2 or PS 2. At the time voters approved this additional funding in 2004, it was estimated that a levy of 60 mills would be required to generate the $8,200,000. The 2004 mill levy is capped at the $8,200,000. Sixty mills in 2020 is estimated to raise $12,240,000 and therefore generating more money to help support police, fire and related services. The proposed 2020 public safety mill evy is capped at 60 mills. As the value of a mill changes the amount of money raised will also change. This will help offset inflation and help public safety departments retain and continue their current levels of services.
Under the direction of City Administrator Kukulski, Mayor Cole, Council Members Neese and Choriki 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 Public Safety Mill levy for voter approval through a special mail ballot election. The attached Ordinance is the product of this Committee's work.
The required documents amending the City Charter were later presented to the Council for further review and discussion at its May 27, 2020, worksession. During that meeting the Council directed staff to proceed with placing these documents before the Council at a Regular business meeting for consideration and approval.
In order for any levy request to impact the FY 2021 City budget, this Ordinance amending the City Charter must be approved at First Reading and Public Hearing no later than June 8, 2020, followed by approval of the Ordinance on Second Reading together with a ballot language Resolution on June 22, 2020. 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.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Approve the attached Ordinance on First Reading and Public Hearing repealing and replacing the current public safety mill levy in City Charter Section 1.05.1, or;
- Modify the Ordinance, or,
- Disapprove the Ordinance
FISCAL EFFECTS
if voters approve the proposed Charter amendment, it is estimated to generate an additional $4,000,000 to help support police, fire and related services.