2022 Rest Home Mill Levy Information
Gallatin County is asking voters to decide on a mill levy to fund the ongoing operations and capital needs of the Gallatin Rest Home in Bozeman.
The question will be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in Gallatin County. Below is information about the mill levy.
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The Gallatin County Rest Home is a 69-bed, state-licensed nursing facility certified to provide skilled Medicare/Medicaid coverage providing long term, respite, hospice and rehabilitation care. It is located at 1221 Durston Rd. in Bozeman.
Licensed nursing homes are unique in the services they provide and the qualifications of their staff. ONLY a licensed nursing home is required to provide all of the following:
- Licensed nurses 24 hours a day
- Nurse aides who have completed state-approved training and a state competency test
- A physician medical director
- A licensed pharmacist to review each resident's drug regimen monthly
- Specialized rehabilitative therapies (physical, speech-language, occupational) provided by qualified professionals
- Professionally supervised activities programs designed to meet the interests and well-being of each resident
- Social services to help each resident reach or maintain the highest level of physical, mental and spiritual well-being provided by or under the direction of a qualified social worker
- A comprehensive assessment and plan of care to make sure each resident receives exactly the services he or she needs
- A dietitian and a director of food services to make certain each resident gets nourishing, well-balanced meals and snacks to meet dietary needs
- A formal quality assessment and assurance program that continuously monitors the quality of services provided
- A formal infection-control program to provide a safe, sanitary environment
- A safe, comfortable building that meets stringent fire and life-safety codes
On the Nov. 8 general election ballot, qualified electors of Gallatin County will vote on whether to authorize the County Commission to levy up to nine mills to fund Rest Home operations and capital expenditures.
Nine mills would raise, at the fiscal year 2022 value, $3,933,459 annually.
If passed, the mill levy would fund operational and capital needs, including, but not limited to, patient care, staffing, food, supplies, and building maintenance and repairs. The $3,933,495, or a similar amount imposed in future years, would provide for a substantial component of the operational and capital needs of the Rest Home and will ensure that this vital service is provided to the public in a professional and competent manner.
However, the county won't levy these mills unless it's necessary. If the state fixes the Medicaid reimbursement gap to make up for the shortfall in funding, then we can operate the facility without a property tax subsidy.
Currently, the Rest Home is funded by a combination of non-tax revenues and the county’s general operating mill.
Gallatin County is facing financial hardship in funding the Rest Home and providing a high level of patient care for various reasons.
Inadequate Medicaid rates that are not sufficient to cover the cost of providing care. For example, Medicaid currently reimburses the Rest Home $213 a day per resident. However, the cost to care for residents is at a minimum $100 a day more than what Medicaid provides. These inadequate reimbursements from the state have been occurring for years.
Rising salary expenses and housing costs are making hiring long-term employees difficult, and vastly increasing associated costs for hiring contract nurses to fill vacant positions. The Rest Home currently has 50 open positions, and the cost to pay contract employees such as registered nurses and certified nursing assistants is double what the county is able to pay for their own employees.
Growing inflation has increased costs of food and supplies, and the continued need to pay for building maintenance and repairs have all added to the financial hardships of the facility.
Gallatin County Commissioners agreed that the time is ripe for the community to weigh in and for voters to decide on how the facility is funded moving forward.
The Gallatin Rest Home serves some of our most vulnerable citizens. Our residents are your grandparents, your parents, your aunts and uncles, and someday, could be you.
A vast majority of our residents rely on Medicaid or Medicare and simply cannot afford expensive private facilities for their complex and unique long-term healthcare needs.
As of September 2022, the Gallatin Rest Home will be the last skilled nursing home left in Gallatin County, a county with a population of over 120,000.
Having the Gallatin Rest Home in Bozeman allows our residents to remain close to home while receiving care. We are the only game in town, and becoming one of the last rest homes in Montana as others around the state shutter their doors and force families to send their loved ones to communities far away for assistance.
Our Rest Home provides a critical service for our citizens, for their loved ones, and some day, for them. Without this facility, many of our residents who don't have the financial means for private long-term care won't have anywhere else to turn to.
For Gallatin County taxpayers, the estimated annual tax increase per $100,000 of assessed value is $12.15. This is based on FY 2022 mill rate. This will increase for FY 2023, and for the foreseeable future, depending on the effect the Montana Legislature may have on county property tax values.
For Gallatin County property owners, the below table shows the approximate tax impact of the levy depending on the assessed value (NOT what you could sell your home for on Zillow) of your property. To find your property’s assessed value, visit itax.gallatin.mt.gov.
However, the county won't levy these mills unless it's necessary. If the state fixes the Medicaid reimbursement gap to make up for the shortfall in funding, then we can operate the facility without a property tax subsidy.
Assessed Property Value | Cost Per Year | Cost Per Month |
$200,000 | $24.30 | $2.03 |
$300,000 | $36.45 | $3.04 |
$400,000 | $48.60 | $4.05 |
$500,000 | $60.75 | $5.06 |
$600,000 | $72.90 | $6.08 |
$700,000 | $85.05 | $7.09 |
$800,000 | $97.20 | $8.10 |
$900,000 | $109.35 | $9.11 |
$1,000,000 | $121.50 | $10.13 |
For additional information, check out local news coverage of the proposed mill levy:
Facing stagnant Medicaid rates, this state has lost 10 percent of SNF beds in 2022 - McNight's Long-Term Care News
- Gallatin County voters to decide on mill levy to fund Gallatin Rest Home - Three Forks Voice
- Nursing home crisis impacts Montana - NBC Montana
- 'I can't imagine': With skilled nursing facilities in a financial bind, difficult choices loom - Bozeman Daily Chronicle
- Voters to decide on funding for Gallatin Rest Home - Bozeman Daily Chronicle
- Mill levy to help fund Gallatin County Rest Home to appear on November ballot - KBZK
- Gallatin Co. voters to decide on rest home mill levy this November - NBC Montana
- Gallatin County Commissioners vote to put mill levy on November ballot - ABC Fox Montana
Paid for by Gallatin County
Committee Treasurer: Communications Coordinator Whitney Bermes
311 W. Main St.
Bozeman, MT 59715