Gallatin County commissioners approved pay raises ranging from 6-8% for many employees and funded several new positions during three days of FY26 budget discussions that wrapped up Thursday.

At the same time, commissioners tentatively rejected Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer’s request for an intelligence officer position and County Attorney Audrey Cromwell’s ask for eight additional attorneys.

The budget will be finalized in August after the Montana Department of Revenue releases its taxable values, providing the county with an exact dollar figure.

The approved raises added a 3% cost-of-living increase on top of 3% already included in the startup budget, which Chief Financial Officer Justine Swanson said will come from reducing the county’s operating reserves.

The commissioners sa

See Full Page