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By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

HELENA – In order to answer frequently asked questions in the community, the city of Helena held a special work session to discuss the funding for the $58 million Sports and Leisure Complex and city hall project on Wednesday, March 6 at 6 p.m.

Helena residents were encouraged to attend the special meeting, during which the City Council released a financial plan with specific numbers.

According to a statement released by the city, when Mayor Brian Puckett and the current City Council took office, there was $1.3 million in the reserve fund. Each year, the Council used only three of the four quarters’ revenues from the previous year when creating the city’s general fund budget. According to city officials, this has allowed the city to increase its reserve budget to $4.5 million.

Using this conservative approach to revenue projections, Helena has aimed to improve its fiscal health in the face of financial uncertainty.

“This conservative and cautious approach has not only enabled us to handle bond warrants for important infrastructure projects but has also empowered the city to pay off all short-term loans and make cash purchases for necessary items,” read an official statement from the Helena City Council.

Helena plans to use warrant bonds for the construction of a new city hall and the Sports and Leisure Complex with a plan to pay off this bond in the coming years. The bond will be for $45 million, covering the entire $18 million city hall project and covering $27 million for the Sports and Leisure Complex project.

The debt repayment plan is “stacked,” which allows five different accounts to contribute funds to the payment plan—the general fund, utility lease, use tax, the one-cent fund and capital from diverted funds.

In addition, the bond will only require the city to make interest payments towards the bond for the first three years. This means that Helena can begin building the projects and starting making revenue from the projects to put toward the payment plan.

For example, city hall is scheduled to be open for use starting March 2025. The Utility Department will have offices that they lease inside city hall, and the money from the lease will go towards paying off the city hall portion of the bond.

Over the course of the four year payment plan, the general fund is projected to account for $1,358,000 of the payment.

Constructed in 1994, the current city hall can no longer provide the space needed for future growth. After the city moves into the new facility, the old building will be converted into the Public Safety Building, housing the Police Department, Fire Station 1 and Municipal Court.

In addition to a community hub with a dedicated senior citizen area, the new city hall will have offices for Administration, the Utility Department, Building Services and all Department Heads. The second floor will feature the traditional Council Chambers and space for future conference rooms or offices. While the building will feature three stories, the third floor interior will be empty, allowing the city to convert that space into whatever it needs at a later date.

The Sports and Leisure Complex will also be completed in phases.

“The Sports and Leisure Complex has a master plan that has been released, but we all agree that it is not financially responsible as a city to build it all at once,” The city’s statement said. “The City Council and mayor have prioritized the most immediate needs for the community.”

In the first phase of construction, the Sports and Leisure Complex will include the first items that will be constructed include two championship-size baseball fields, two basketball courts, a playground, 16 tennis courts, a 27-hole disc golf course, a multipurpose field and a splash pad. In addition, the complex will have Hillsboro trail connectivity.

“The city hall project and Sports and Leisure Complex are essential for the continued growth and prosperity of our city, and thanks to the careful stewardship of our finances, the city can undertake these projects with confidence,” Read the statement by the city of Helena.