Committee resurrects streets levy proposal

A mill levy to fund improvements to Havre’s streets to the tune of $750,000 a year is a step closer to going before voters after the Havre City Council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee voted unanimously Monday to send a proposal to the council.

The committee voted to send to the full council a resolution to put a mill levy increase on the ballot in November.

The 75 mills would cost a homeowner with a $100,000 home about $101.25 a year or $202.50 for a $200,000 home.

The funds would be used to upgrade some of the city’s deteriorating streets.

Committee members did not say when the resolution would be taken up by the whole council.

The proposal is a scaled-back version of the $1.5 million levy rejected by voters in 2015 that would have cost the owner of a home with a commercial value of $100,000 an extra $200 in property taxes and $400 for a home valued at $200,000.

Council member Caleb Hutchins, who attended the committee meeting, asked Deputy Public Works Director Jeff Jensen what his department thought about the proposal, adding that he heard that when the mill levy in 2015 was being discussed, the department worried it would not bring in enough money.

Jenson said the proposal, if passed, would show people of the city they are making progress on improving the city streets and that could bring more support.

“You got to see some work out there, see how nice it can be with new curbs and paving,” he said.

Lilletvedt said the proposal is not perfect and that she would have loved to do the 2015 proposal, but the council has to be realistic about what voters will support.