nbcmontana.com · September 4, 2026
Missoula Co. finalizes budget for 2027 fiscal year
# Missoula Co. finalizes budget for 2027 fiscal year
by Laney Napoli
Fri, September 4, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Updated Fri, September 4, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Missoula County held its final budget hearing for the 2027 fiscal year Thursday night. Before approving the final budget, officials made only a few changes. (Photo: NBC Montana)
MISSOULA, Mont. — Missoula County held its final budget hearing for the 2027 fiscal year Thursday night. Before approving the final budget, officials made only a few changes.
Changes include a new reserve account for large taxpayers. The account would be funded by newly taxable properties and used if a jurisdiction loses one of its top 20 taxpayers.
The budget also adds a mill to pay for repairs to detention center water lines, funding for an addition to the sheriff’s office and two part-time positions in the clerk and treasurer’s offices.
“I think the question most folks would like to know is how much they will pay in county taxes and so this is a breakdown of what homes would pay. So, for a $100,000 home inside the city limits, in county taxes they will see a reduction this year of $5.42, for a home valued at $300,000 they’ll see a reduction of $16.27," Chris Lounsbury, chief administrative officer for Missoula County, said.
Residents outside Missoula city limits will see a slightly larger decrease because they pay county-only mills in addition to countywide mills.
Overall property taxes increased by 3.25%. But thanks to legislation passed in 2025, most homeowners will see a decrease in their total property tax bill.