Hungry Horse news., 1954-07-30
Co. Falls Adopts
Preliminary Budget
At 1868 Mills

At S9.00 Mills
Columbia Falls city council has
adopted preliminary budget Of
1858 mills for the 1954-55 fiscal
year as compared with SO mills q
year ago.
Entire increase is the 1858 mill
levy being established as a special
improvement revolving fund for
better streets, sidewalks and sew
ers. Any expenditures from this
fund are to be replaced by proper
ty owners benefited. In event re-
payments are delinquent, the back
taxes are collectable eventually
through sale of respective proper
ty.
FIRST TIME ON BUDGET
This year marks the first time
Columbia Falls will operate on a
budget. The change results from
the community becoming third
class city in place of an incorpor-
ated town effective May 3.
The proposed budget for the
1954-55 fiscal year will be review
ed at public hearing Wednesday
at pm. in the city hall, and then
given final adoption.
Mill levies as proposed are gen
eral fund, 20; streets and alleys,
10; fire department, 2; fireman
pensions, 1; parks, 8, and revolving
fund, 1853. In addition there is
the street lighting improvement
district tax of SLAB for each so
foot lot, and the Nucleus avenue
special improvement (oiling) dis
trict levy on property benefited.
VALUATIONS UP
Columbia Falls full assessed val
uation is now $1,894,691 up from
81, 1,554,713 last year. This results
in the tax being $543,267 COM
pared to $444,054. Hence a mill
now will raise $543.26.
The budget shows $21, ,542 raised
from real estate and personal
property taxes; $10,750 from hous-
ing project rentals, and $6,245.44
from fees including the $2,732
collected in fines. Water users pay
$25, 1000.
Columbia Falls pays out $22,600
a year in wage to city employees.
Monthly salaries paid by the
city are as follows: Byron West,
chief of police, 1920; Howard
Greene, water and housing pro-
ject commissioner, 1915; Troy
Thacker, street and park COM
missioner $500; Don Lunsford, as
sistant water and housing project
commissioner $275; Mrs. Ruby J..
Guillaume-Berg, city clerk, water
and housing project rent collector,
$500; James Cumming, city attor-
ney, $3.50; F. P. Fleming, city
treasurer, $40; Floyd P. Jones, city
judge, $50; P. E. Haugen, city hall
custodian, $35, and on an annual
salary, DR.. w. F. Bennett, city
health officer, $100, for a year.
WATER DEPT. EXPENSES
Water department costs are the
city's largest. Not counting pay
ments to the present water i'm
provement system contractors un-
der the 100000 bond issue, there
are budget items of salaries, ST.
200; maintenance and operation,
$7,257; pumping, $1,000, and in
terest and bond retirement, $685.
1865. Under maintenance and
operation, city purchases meters
and is reimbursed.
Water revenues - $4,000 in
creasing to $30,880 - are falling
short of expenes with result that
the city is asking the Public Serv-
ice Commission in Helena for per-
mission to raise the flat water rate
25 per cent. Average home users
now pays $2.35 a month with
about $50 of city's 600 user on
meters, paying more. Meter users
won't be boosted.
Police department shows salar-
les, $4,000; maintenance and oper-
alton (car) $1,735.27, and miscel-
laneous (meals for prisoners) for
$313.75, a total of $7,049.02. Col
umbia Falls with nearly 1000
residents only has one full-time
policeman. Some provision is made
for a relief man-$1, ,160 worth.
STREETS
Street and alley shows salaries
So, 3,565.38; maintenance and opera
ton, $2,804.11; interest and debt
retirement (Nucleus and Sixth
street oiling paid by property
owners) $3,089.97, and miscellan-
eous. Maximum 10 mill levy for
streets is being charged.
The park fund holsters the street
fund through having a joint COM
missioner. Park fund has salaries
of $1,000; capital outlay $999 Ito
Lions for swimming pooD, and
park maintenance, $21.75. The S999
is the most spent on parks in Col
umbia Falls in ten years.
Fire department has chiefs SAL
ary, $500 (part of Howard Greene's
wages) maintenance and operation
(new hoses needed } S1,179.70, and
pension fund, S1,2h5.45.
Housing project with anticipat-
ed income of S10,E so from rentals
of 80 units has sala ries of S4,788.16;
maintenance, S4.5J0, and miscel-
laneous, S1,46184 Housing project
revenue helps ST pport city gov
eminent.
City clerks buc get includes So