Economically, Montana had a “fantastic” year in 2021, and 2022 is being forecast to be much the same, but there are challenges. At the forefront of his forecast, Montana’s premier economist, Dr. Patrick Barkey, Director of the Bureau of Business … read more
Signature gathering on a petition that would cap property taxes may continue. The Montana Supreme Court refused last week to take up a lower court decision that halted signature gathering on a petition for an initiative that would cap the … read more
2022 is an election year that will see a vacancy open for election of the Board of County Commissioners for District 2. Incumbent County Commissioner Denis Pitman, who has announced that he will be filing for re-election, already has … read more
With the end of his term next year, Scott Turner will be Yellowstone County’s last full-time elected auditor. In the future the position will be melded with that of the County Clerk and Recorder. County Commissioners voted at a public … read more
Whether Yellowstone County voters want the production and sale of marijuana in Yellowstone County will be on the ballot this spring – May 4. read more
Following a discussion meeting on Thursday attended by a large group of citizens, Yellowstone County Commissioners agreed to their request to reconsider putting the issue of recreational or non-medical marijuana on the ballot for consideration by all voters in Yellowstone … read more
The most welcomed results of the election on Tuesday, for the City of Billings was the success of the Public Safety Mill Levy. The measure was passed by a comfortable margin, 19,839 to 12,787. read more
At the 2021 Fall Annual meeting for the Montana Association of Counties, Yellowstone County Commissioner Denis Pitman was re-elected as chairman of the Urban Counties. Cascade, Flathead, Gallatin, Lewis & Clark, Missoula, Ravalli and Yellowstone comprise the Urban counties committee, … read more
On Wednesday, October 13, County Elections Director Brett Rutherford mailed out 93,000 ballots to voters in Yellowstone County, Billings, Laurel and Broadview. Most should have their ballot by Friday, said Rutherford. read more
The Biden administration recently announced support for a push by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to strip intellectual property protections from Covid-19 vaccines. read more
Billings’ voters will be asked to make a decision on the November ballot about whether they want to let vendors sell marijuana within the city of Billings, but given the other laws and regulations swirling about the commodity, a lot … read more
Yellowstone County Commissioners approved the 2021-22 Fiscal Year budget on Tuesday, after amending it to reduce the number of requested FTE’s by eight. read more
On Aug. 5, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced the approval of Montana’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan, and it distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to the state. read more
While Yellowstone County outside the city limits of Billings will allow the growing, manufacturing and sale of recreational marijuana, whether those activities will be permissible within the city will be determined by Billings’ voters in a ballot measure in November. read more
The City County Planning Department’s work plan for 2022 continues many of the same projects as 2021 with very few changes, according to Scott Walker, who presented the plan to County Commissioners on Tuesday. read more
Again, Governor Greg Gianforte called on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to provide Montanans with sufficient opportunity for in-person, public comment on the BLM’s Environmental Assessment of the American Prairie Reserve’s (APR) bison grazing proposal. read more
Yellowstone County might be asked to vote once again on the issue of allowing businesses to sell marijuana in the county or whether to tax marijuana sales at 3 percent. read more
The Billings City Council has approved placing a $7.1 million mill levy on the November 2 ballot for public safety. A study has found that public safety is a high priority of citizens, concerned about the increase in crime in … read more
Roughly speaking, Yellowstone County’s elected officials will get a three percent increase in wages for the next fiscal year, 2021-22. County Commissioners approved, on Tuesday, the recommendation for the increase submitted by the Elected Officials Compensation Board. read more
In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, Yellowstone County Commissioners selected Sherry Essman to assume the Republican House Seat (Dist. 52) vacated with the resignation of Rep. Jimmy Patelis. Last Thursday commissioners interviewed Essman and Nelly Nicol who were among three … read more
