Transit system may get scaled-back subsidy

The city of Havre may end up making a $1,000 contribution to the North Central Montana Transit System instead of the $15,000 the system asked for.

City Council Member Pam Hillery said she scoured the proposed city budget and could find “very little wiggle room” to find excess funds for the bus system.

So, she proposed an amendment to the proposed city budget at tonight’s meeting to give the system

“It’s not much but it shows we support them,” Hillery said at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

She said the spending plan submitted by Mayor Tim Solomon “very tightly crafted.” The proposed budget will be finalized at a council meeting tonight.

Hillery proposed taking $1,000 from a $1,500 allocation for council member training, leaving only $500 in that category. That $1,000 will go to the transit system.

She said the remaining $500 should be sufficient to provide training to the two council members who will be elected in the November elections. Hillery, from Ward 1, and Ward 3 council member Allen “Woody” Woodwick will step down and be replaced in the fall voting.

Transit system manager Jim Lyons asked council at an earlier date for $15,000, noting that the system is subsidized by Hill and Blaine counties and Rocky Boy’s and Fort Belknap Indian reservations. He said the system would like to increase its routes in the city but is struggling to maintain what it offers.

The system offers service to Hi-Line communities from Fort Belknap to Havre and twice a week to Great Falls.

Solomon at the time that he was sympathetic to the request, but said “there are more requests than budget.”

The city is right up against its tax limit and can’t increase taxes any further.

Council held a hearing on the budget Monday night. No one spoke.

The council meeting was recessed instead of adjourned, and council members will reconvene at 6 p.m. tonight to decide on the budget, including Hillery’s amendment.

In other business:

• Council approved Fire Chief Hedges’ appointment of Wes Barr as a probationary firefighter. He has served as a Polson firefighter.

• Council also unanimously approved the promotion of Colter Dimas from probationary firefighters to permanent firefighter.

• Council unanimously OK’d a request from Custom Collision Repair for temporary closure of 1st Street Northwest Saturday of Festival Days weekend so the company can hold its annual customer appreciation barbecue and open house.