Accounting

The City created a new assessment in November 2010 to pay for the monitoring and maintenance of a landfill that was closed officially in 2003, but had ceased operation much earlier. The annual fee is a flat amount of $7.23 for vacant or residential properties and a graduated amount for commercial properties based on their impervious area (developed area that does not allow absorption of rainwater). The commercial fees vary from a minimum of $18.08 to a maximum of $150.70 per parcel.

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Neighborhoods create lighting districts to pay for the cost of street lights in their area. Currently there are 54 districts. The charges generally are assessed on a square-foot basis and vary by district. Lighting district rates are based on cash flow needs of the district and estimated costs of the next years electrical usage.

The general purpose of the open space district is to protect, maintain, preserve, restore, and care for the City of Helena's open space lands or natural parks. This cost will be assessed to each lot or parcel in the City of Helena with base amounts of $20.00 per lot, plus $0.00631 per square foot of impervious area in excess of 2,222 square feet for each lot.

This is an annual charge for a period of ten years assessed to those property owners who volunteered to participate in the City's annual sidewalk replacement program.

This assessment is for the collection and disposal of residential solid waste. Housing units up to, and including, a four-plex are charged on the tax bill. The residential collection rate is $176.10 per residential unit per year. Taxpayers qualifying for the State Property Tax Assistance Program receive a 50% reduction for their solid waste assessment.

Each unit is given a permit to self-haul bulk waste to the Transfer Station. Each unit is allowed 1.5 tons (3000 lbs). If you exceed the 1.5 tons (3000 lbs) , those overages are billed directly to you at the Transfer Station at time of disposal. Current tipping rate of $54.75 per ton applies to all disposal or recycling.

Loads brought in containing only acceptable recyclable material do not count towards the against the 1.5 tons (3000 lbs) limit and are not subject to additional transfer station charges.

Replacement of residential permits are $5.00.

For information on special improvement district payoffs, please call 447-8402 or 447-8416. Please have your property identification number available. This number is located just above the property location and legal description on the right hand side of the tax bill.

This assessment pays for the operation of the City street and traffic divisions. These divisions routinely provide services such as street repair, cleaning, sweeping, snow removal, traffic signals, data collection, signs and pavement markings. The rates are listed below.

1. Vacant or Residential $206.16 flat fee
2. Manufactured or Mobile Home Dwelling Units, located within a licensed mobile home park $82.46 flat rate per dwelling unit
3. Commercial(6000 sq ft or more) $0.06000/sq. ft., $360.00 applies to only the first one (1) million square feet.
4. Commercial Residential(less than 6000 sq ft) $360.00.

The dollars generated by this assessment help finance improvements to the City's storm water drainage system. For residential, vacant or mobile or manufactured home site properties the rate is 0.02524 cents per square foot of impervious area in excess of 2,222 sq. ft. The minimum charge for a property, including vacant parcels, is $46.16 per year. For commercial properties the rate is 0.03926 cents per square foot of impervious area in excess of 2,222 sq. ft. The minimum charge per lot or parcel of land is $71.81 per year. Impervious or impermeable area includes such things as driveways, parking lots and roofs. Taxpayers qualifying for the State Property Tax Assistance Program receive a 50% reduction for their storm water utility assessment.

The Urban Forest District was created in November 2010. On August 21, 2023 the City Commission approved the re-creation of the district. This is an annual $39.00 per property charge. The district will increase the City's ability to meet the Tree Maintenance District's original mandate to plant, protect, maintain, preserve and care for trees in public parks, City rights-of-way and on open space land.

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