Ballots for levy, bond and Great Falls mayor elections headed to voters
In less than a week time voters in Great Falls and across Cascade County can expect to receive ballots in the mail in advance of the Nov. 7 general election. Although this is an off-year election, with no statewide or federal contests presented to voters, several high-profile elections should still attract voter interest, especially in Great Falls.
The city’s Public Safety Mill Levy request has been a topic of broad public discussion since last spring, including a series of informational public forums hosted by city officials explaining the need for increased funding to hire 32 more firefighters and 22 sworn police officers, buy new safety equipment and add support staff to the municipal court and legal departments.
The city is asking voters to approve a 103.75 mill increase to raise an additional $13,675,910 in property taxes annually. If approved it would raise the tax on a $300,000 by $420.13 a year, or roughly $35 a month.
The city is also asking voters to consider a $21,175,000 bond to expand and renovate the police department building and to build a new fire station. If voters approve the bond it would add another $66.60 in property tax annually to a $300,000 home within Great Falls city limits.
However, the Public Safety Levy is not the only high-profile election this year. Great Falls Mayor Bob Kelly is retiring this year after four terms in that office, opening the position to a field of four candidates: Abby Brown, a single mother and student at Great Falls-MSU, incumbent Great Falls city commissioner Joe McKenny, former State Representative Casey Schreiner and former Cascade County Undersheriff Cory Reeves.
In addition, two other city commissioners are at the end of their current four-year terms. Commissioners Eric Hinebauch and Rick Tryon are both running for re-election and are being challenged by three other contenders for the two available positions: Kendall Cox, Micaela Stroop and Shannon Wilson. Municipal Court Judge Steven Bolstad is running unopposed for his third term, and for the first will be joined on the bench by second municipal court judge. Deputy City prosecutor Mark Dunn and Great Falls attorney Cayle Halberg are vying for that position.
A total of 45 neighborhood council positions in Great Falls are also up for election. Out in the county, both the towns of Cascade and Belt are hosting elections to fill ward positions and city court judicial spots. Many of these are either uncontested elections or, in the case of Ward 1 in Belt, had no one file before the candidate filing deadline.
This year residents can still register to vote on the day of the election but must return their completed ballot either by mail or in person no later than the close of business on Nov. 7 to be counted.
“People may bring their ballots to our office at suite 100 or they can drop them off inside the front door of the elections office at 325 2nd Ave N.” explained Cascade County Elections Specialist Dev Biddick. “There will be Republican and Democratic election judges sitting there watching people cast their ballots.”
The Cascade County Elections Office regular business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Election Day the office will remain open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Ballots for Nov. 7 election in Great Falls, Cascade County
