Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday approved a budget that calls for a decrease in county tax bills.

Work on the 2026 fiscal year budget began in January under a cloud of uncertainty, said county Administrator Pete Melnick, as the county factored in impacts including a new presidential administration, shifting tariff policies, a falling stock market and the Montana Legislature’s reshaping of property tax structures.

“In times like these, there’s really only one playbook that works,” Melnick said in his budget memo. “Stay conservative, stay steady and keep our focus on the fundamentals.”

The budget includes appropriations of $142 million, which exceeds total revenues of $130 million by about $12 million, but county officials said that doesn’t mean the county is operating in a defici

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