New Public Safety Facility FAQ

No. The Public Safety Facility is funded through a separate capital improvement budget that has been in development since 2017. Flathead County’s long-standing policy is to separate capital investments from operational funding, ensuring stable, long-term support for frontline services, such as patrol and emergency medical.

Most inmates in the county jail are awaiting trial and are legally presumed innocent. Others are serving short sentences (less than one year). Unlike prisons, which house convicted individuals, county jails must meet constitutional standards for due process, safety, and basic humane conditions. Failing to do so opens the county to lawsuits and court intervention.

Potential Long-Term Costs if We Don’t Act:

• Escalating maintenance expenses on a crumbling, outdated facility.
• Increased legal liability from overcrowding, unsafe conditions, and civil rights violations.
• Staff turnover and burnout, leading to higher recruitment/training costs.
• Inefficient justice system, with court delays, early releases, and repeat offenders.
• Rising crime rates, as the system fails to deter or rehabilitate offenders.

We’d be paying more and getting less.

Long-Term Benefits of Building Now:

• Improved public safety — offenders are held accountable, and law enforcement stays focused on prevention.
• Safe, modern workspace improves staff morale, retention, and recruitment.
• Integrated services —jail and law enforcement services integrated into one location, providing space for the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and support staff.
• Built for growth — the new facility is designed to scale with population, avoiding costly band-aid fixes.
• Lower long-term taxpayer burden — proactive investment now avoids massive costs later.

Bottom line: We either invest now, or keep paying more for a failing system.

By law, the funds can only be used to design and build the new Public Safety Facility. All spending is tracked through public bidding, contracts, and annual audits. All finances related to bond spending are public information.