County initiatives on the ballot

Gallatin county voters will vote on four local issues on Nov. 5.

Gallatin County Local Option Motor Vehicle Tax

Voting yes on Gallatin County’s local option motor vehicle tax will increase the tax from 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent. This tax is collected upon vehicle registration and applied to the taxable vehicle value. Additional funds collected from this increase would be used to improve road infrastructure across the county. This increase could grant the county access to over four million additional dollars to dedicate to local improvements.

City of Bozeman, Montana General Obligation Bond Election Fire Station 4 Project

With this measure, voters will decide whether to allow the City of Bozeman to sell and issue general obligation bonds in order to fund the building and equipping of a fourth fire station. The sale and issue of general obligation bonds essentially grants the City a loan that it is able to pay back using tax dollars. Voting yes on this ballot allows the city to procure up to 18 million dollars through bonds, with interest rates determined post sale. Each series of bonds will be payable semi-annually for a time not exceeding 20 years. This will require an increase in property taxes in the coming fiscal year.

City of Bozeman, Montana Mill Levy Election First Responders

The City is proposing a mill levy that could raise over 11 million dollars annually in order to hire additional personnel and maintain the local police and fire departments. With the potential construction of a fourth fire station and growth of population, the city hopes to use funds to support the addition of six sworn Bozeman police officers per year over five years, for a total of 30, eight non-sworn support staff for the police department, 22 firefighters and three non-sworn support staff for the fire department. The ballot proposes that the City Commission be granted authority to permanently levy up to 48 mills by fiscal year 2030. A mill levy is a tax rate based upon property values. A single mill is equivalent to one dollar per 1,000 dollars of assessed property value. Through this process property taxes are raised annually. According to the City of Bozeman website, the Fire Station 4 project will be eliminated if this levy fails.

City of Bozeman Plastics Ordinance

Voting for the City of Bozeman Plastics Ordinance would alter the Bozeman Municipal Code to prohibit the sale or distribution of polystyrene foam, single-use plastic bags and plastic straws or stirrers, effective May 1, 2025. This would allow for plastic straws and stirrers to be provided upon request of customers. Beyond this, the ordinance would be strictly enforced. All affected establishments would be notified, as required by the initiative. Affected establishments would be charged 1,000 dollars upon first violation and 2,000 dollars for all successive violations.