Change in Red Lodge Garbage Billing Could be a Jolt for Some

Property tax relief may help some

By Denise Rivette

For years the City of Red Lodge has billed garbage fees through property taxes. That procedure will change on July 1 when the City will begin billing for garbage collection on the monthly water bill. Due to current billings being in arrears, there will be residual fees that are collected on the next property tax bill.

According to City Councilmember Sandy Conlee, “City residents pay about half of what those in the County pay which is good. BUT the City pays for garbage pickup monthly. So, January through November the City pays approximately $44,000 per month, about $484,000, out of our general fund before being reimbursed through the property tax system. To make matters worse, at that point they are only reimbursed for 6 of the 11 months... and then are again behind $484,000 by the time the other half of the property taxes are paid in May of the following year. The Auditors pointed out that this is bad accounting and ties up our general fund for most of the year and needs to be fixed once and for all. Kicking the issue down the road doesn't fix the problem.”

The City Council discussed the issue at length and, after much thought and consideration for those on fixed incomes, voted as of July 1 to include garbage on everyone's water bill.

City residents can expect to pay about $28 per month more on their water bill. Even then, the City will still be behind $44,000 per month for the first six months of 2024, so the property tax bill in November will still collect the garbage fees for January through June 2024. The 2025 property tax bills will no longer have garbage on it.

There are some state assistance programs that can provide qualifying homeowners and renters with financial relief. The deadline for applications for property tax assistance has been extended to June 1. Read more here.