Condon residents seek to incorporate (2024)

Residents of the Swan Valley are looking to form their own central government in Condon, which would be the first new town in Montana since the 1990s.

Three members of the Swan Valley Community Council met last week with a local government expert from Montana State University and the Missoula County commissioners to get more information on making the idea a reality.

No actions have been taken yet, but the community council does plan to launch a subcommittee in the coming weeks to create a potential plan.

Condon sits at the edge of Missoula County and is unincorporated, which means it has no town government. Missoula County is the main government of the area.

Some residents are interested in incorporating so they can refocus their taxes toward local issues, while potentially loosening building restrictions that are required by the county.

"We have a lot of great people here right now, but they might not be here in 10 years," Swan Valley Community Councilor Ted Morgan said, citing a need for affordable housing. "So how are we going to bring in that next generation of people that are willing to work in our grocery store or our school?"

Condon's small population and low density could make incorporating difficult under Montana law, according to Dan Clark, director of MSU's Local Government Center.

While incorporating the Condon areacould lead to greater representation and allow local residents to create their own government priorities, Missoula County officials noted the system would likely not lower taxes for the region.

"Every resident is taxed at the same rate for countywide services, whether they are in a city or out of a city," County Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury said.

The process of creating a town has rarely been used since the turn of the last century, with Colstrip as the last town to incorporate in 1994.

A town for itself

The Condon area sits between the massive Mission and Swan mountain ranges. About 300 full-time residents call the area home, but the scenic views draw in seasonal residents, too.

The town is roughly an 80-mile drive from the city of Missoula.

Clark said incorporating would allow Condon to centralize its services and allow different agencies that currently exist in the area to work together.

Most issues also go back to the Missoula County commissioners, which have to weigh Condon's needs with other unincorporated areas like Seeley Lake or Frenchtown.

"Instead of being governed by three individuals in Missoula, you would have local control," Clark said. "That has a value to it, too."

Morgan said Missoula County has not been meeting the needs for the area, especially around roads and infrastructure. He said potholes do not get fixed on county-maintained roads, and building permit requirements have made it unaffordable to build a home.

Morgan is also running for House District 92 as a Republican.

Morgan said the benefits of creating a town would allow Condon to skirt the "county-only" taxes that people outside the city of Missoula must pay. Additionally, he said creating a town would allow the residents to convert to state building requirements, which are less restrictive than Missoula County's.

Local business owner and Swan Valley Community Councilor Grace Siloti said having a central government could help older Condon residents get access to better services for the elderly.

"I was doing my bestatserving our seniors the way they wanted to be served in the community," Siloti said, noting she would deliver meals rather than meeting as a group. "We have no place for them to congregate. We'd have to rent the (Swan Valley Community) hall."

Creating a town does not happen overnight, however.

Clark, said a new town must have at least 300 residents, about the size of Condon. A draft map of the proposed city limits must then be created.

Organizers would need two-thirds of registered voters within the proposed town to sign a petition seeking incorporation. Other requirements include a post office, city hall, city clerk, a mayor and at least two city councilors once incorporation is complete.There's also a requirement to have at least 200 residents per square mile of town.

If the petition is successful, the county would then hold an election to decide on incorporation, which needs a majority of people in favor.

"Am I in the circle or am I out of the circle?" Clark said."If I am in the circle, do I want to be in the circle? And if I am in the circle, what do I get out of it? So those are all the questions that the community has to come together and try to wrestle with."

There appears to be enough land and people to start the process, Clark said, but added that the density of Condon could be too spread out.

Commissioners' response

Missoula County commissioners and top administrative staff told the Swan Valley Community Council that incorporation is an option, but it won't prevent them from having to pay county taxes.

"What are those costs (for the town)?" Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said. "Because those would be layered on top. It's not like county taxes will be absorbed or decreased."

Most of Missoula County's taxes are classified into "county-only" and "county-wide." All residents pay the county-wide tax, but people inside the city of Missoula do not pay county-only fees.

Morgan said Condon would be able to get out of the "county-only" fees if they incorporated. While this is true, county officials noted a vast majority of revenue comes from the "county-wide" taxes.

Lounsbury, the chief administrative officer for the Missoula County, clarified that most county taxes, like levies for the Missoula Public Library and Missoula Aging Services, come from the county-wide bucket.

He said just two things are paid by the county-only bucket: Missoula's city-county health department and the county roads department.

"City residents pay every other county tax, and they pay city tax," Lounsbury said.

If a new town is created, the local government would be responsible for all roads within the city limits. Questions remain on what services the town could provide and how much that would cost in taxes.

Many services, like the rural fire department, already exist, but developing a local court system or a police department could take time. Some services could be contracted through the county as the community develops.

The Swan Valley Community Council usually meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m.