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• Escalating maintenance expenses on a crumbling, outdated facility.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.

No. The bond covers construction costs only. Wages and benefits are paid from the County’s regular operating budget.

No. Daily operations—like staffing, utilities, and maintenance—are funded through the existing County budget, not through another bond.

Your share of the bond payment is based on your property’s taxable value relative to all other property in Flathead County.

If your property value increases faster than others in the county, your share of the bond payment will go up.

Then your share of the bond payment will go down, because you represent a smaller slice of the total countywide value.

Yes. When new homes or businesses are built, there are more taxpayers to share the cost, which will reduce the amount each property pays.

The county does not control assessments. Property values are determined by the Montana Department of Revenue and reflect market conditions.

Yes. Second homes and short-term rentals, like VRBOs, are already part of Flathead County’s tax base. Starting in 2026/27, though, the way they’re taxed will change. Instead of being grouped with regular residential homes, they’ll move to a fixed rate of 1.90%. Since Flathead County has many second homes and vacation rentals, this shift means they’ll make up a larger share of the overall property tax base than they do today.

The site at 225 Snowline Lane was selected because it was available for purchase, can be connected to Kalispell municipal utilities, and provides sufficient space away from residential neighborhoods.

No. The design is modest and functional. The cost stems from building a secure, code-compliant environment for a population that cannot self-evacuate in emergencies.

No. The current jail is structurally and operationally maxed out. It is more cost-effective to build for the next 50 years than to continue spending on short-term fixes for a failing facility.

No. This is a full-scale capacity expansion. It will double jail capacity and integrate sheriff's operations, detectives, emergency services, and courts into one location.

The design uses a "direct-supervision" layout with clear sightlines, replacing blind corners. It includes tamper-proof lighting, anti-ligature fixtures, and automated water shutoffs to prevent intentional flooding.

Up to 260 inmates, including 200 general population beds, 42 special housing beds (medical/mental health), and 18 inmate worker beds.

The facility includes 42 specialized beds and dedicated medical exam spaces, allowing individuals in crisis to be stabilized safely without occupying general population space.

Yes. The design includes multi-use program space for life-skills training, parenting classes, counseling, and substance-abuse recovery.

Yes. Only 20–25 acres of the 115-acre property will be developed initially. The modular layout allows for future housing units to be added without disrupting operations.

The new facility features a multi-vehicle secure transport bay (sally port) and a centralized booking area to streamline processing and improve safety.