By Nolan Lister, Helena Independent Record
The Helena City Commission approved its about $100 million preliminary budget for fiscal year 2023 Monday.
Interim City Manager Tim Burton said staff included a number of priority budget items for the city commission’s consideration such as a 5.03% cost of living adjustment that will apply to nearly every city employee, a reconfiguration of health benefits and about 4.5 new full-time equivalent employees.
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Ian Lund, the clean energy advocate for Montana Environmental Information Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit environmental advocacy organization based in Helena, derided the city commission for its decision Monday, claiming burying the sustainability coordinator in the organization chart hampers the position’s ability to conduct the work.
“I want the commission to respect the fact that when you commit to 100% clean energy and then do nothing to move the city toward that goal, and this budget does nothing, it feels performative, it feels empty, but most importantly it doesn’t help us move forward in a state that really needs our leadership,” Lund said.
