Myth Busters!

This is FALSE. Do not throw your prescriptions in the trash. Instead, follow these instructions to safely dispose of your unused or expired medications:

1. Check the disposal instructions on the label first. Some medications have specific instructions for how to get rid of them.
2. If there are no instructions, find a Medsafe disposal station. These are often in pharmacies. 
3. If you can't make it to a safe disposal location, mix the medication with an undesirable substance like kitty litter or coffee grounds. This will discourage animals, children and others from ingesting the medication. Place the mixture in a sealed bag within your trash.

This Saturday, April 27, 2024, is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and the Missoula County Sheriff's Office will host a medication drop-off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the west side of the courthouse (200 W. Broadway). Several pharmacies in Missoula County will also host drop-offs; a full is online at http://missoula.co/rxtaskforce. 

Learn more about how to safely dispose of other medical items, including syringes, from the Missoula Drug Safety Coalition website:  http://missoula.co/rxtaskforce

For the most part, this is FALSE. Much of the funding Missoula County receives, such as grants or bond funds, must go toward certain services or projects.

For example, funding the County, City and Metropolitan Planning Organization received to improve Highway 200 in East Missoula can't be spent to address homelessness. This funding is from a federal grant and must be spent on the specific project outlined in the grant application.

Another example: Funds Missoula County used to buy Marshall Mountain could not have been used to fix bridge infrastructure. This funding comes from voter-approved open space bonds, which must be used to pay for land or improvements that conserve and enhance open space land.

Missoula County can spend property tax dollars more broadly, but state law limits growth in property tax revenue. This means we rely heavily on grants and any other funding sources that don't require property tax dollars but have strict parameters on what the money can be spent on.

This is FALSE. When the federal government passes laws like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the money does not flow directly down to local governments. Instead, the states receive direct federal funding for state highways, and in the case of BIL, additional funding is placed into competitive grants that local governments may apply for.

For example, Missoula County is currently applying for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant and Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant to address bridge infrastructure, which would help fund improvements for multiple bridges that are in poor condition throughout the county. There are no guarantees of funding for applicants, so all costs associated with the applications are funded by the local governments.

This is FALSE. Though trailheads on city, county and US Forest Service lands have varying requirements for when you can have your dog off-leash (if dogs are allowed at all), the City of Missoula has a leash ordinance, meaning in public within city limits all dogs must be on a leash. These rules are to keep your dog, people and other animals safe.

For example, maybe your dog who is off-leash is well-behaved, but someone else is walking their dog on a leash who they know can be aggressive toward other dogs. Your dog could come try to greet the other dog, but be bitten or snapped at in the process, something that could be avoided if you have your dog on a leash.

Or, maybe you're walking on a trail and encounter a bear and her cubs. Even well-behaved dogs may react to this type of situation, and taking control of your dog is easiest when your dog is on a leash.

This is false. The County does not reappraise your property. The Montana Department of Revenue, a branch of state government, calculates property reappraisals. Reappraisals happen every two years, and the department last issued reappraisals in 2023.

Appraisals are intended to show the current assessed value of your property. The "assessed value" looks at location, comparable home sales and other factors and is not the same as the "fair market value," which is what the property could potentially sell for.

Though appraisals are a key factor in determining the property taxes you'll owe, the County has no authority to influence appraisals and when they happen. The Montana Legislature determines the frequency of appraisals. If you think appraisals should occur at a different frequency, contact your state legislators to let them know at https://leg.mt.gov/

When appraisal notices go out, if you think yours is inaccurate, you can appeal it within 30 days by submitting a request for informal review to the Montana Department of Revenue, or formally by appealing it at the County Tax Appeal Board. Though it's too late to appeal your reappraisal from 2023, keep this in mind for next time in 2025!

Missoula County is currently in the process of issuing the amended second half of your tax bill. You will receive a letter about this bill in the mail within the next week or so, and you can also view your amended second half bill at https://itax.missoulacounty.us/itax/

This is false. Incorporation is when a community decides to become its own town/city with its own jurisdiction and powers. This means they have their own form of government, such as a city council, and provide services to residents, such as road maintenance and law enforcement. It also means they can tax residents to provide these services. State law outlines the criteria a community must meet to be able to incorporate (MCA 7-2-4103)

Annexation is when a municipality brings a community or area under its jurisdiction and provides services and levies taxes there. Annexation can only happen if the property is contiguous to the city's boundaries and is served by city services, such as water, sewer and fire. City councils/commissions have the final say on annexation decisions.

This is FALSE. Private citizens and businesses propose development, not the County. The County's role is to ensure development happens according to local and state regulations. These include the Missoula County Subdivision Regulations, the Missoula County Zoning Regulations, environmental health codes and building codes. The County cannot approve or deny a development based on the type of business it is, no matter how enticing its offer of unlimited salad and breadsticks.

Even with zoning, which does determine whether commercial development is allowed in certain areas, the County cannot make developers build specific kinds of businesses. For example, if a community wants a Trader Joe's or other grocery store but the owner of the lot decides to develop it with a brewery, the County cannot force the developer to build a business that peddles Two Buck Chuck instead. If a national chain wants to locate in an area, it's up to them to make that call.

Visit https://missoulacountyvoice.com to see new development proposals in the county and provide comment or ask questions.

This is TRUE! If you're planning to pop the question tonight and wedding bells are in your future, get your marriage license from the Clerk of District Court and marry anywhere in Montana. The license is valid for 180 days. For the application, you will need to fill out some basic information as well as $53 (plus some if you pay with a debit or credit card).

Find more information at http://missoula.co/marriagelicense

This is FALSE. The Maclay Bridge has not been part of any school bus routes for several years.

Find out if other things you've heard about the Maclay Bridge are true on the Maclay Bridge/South Avenue Bridge page at https://missoulacountyvoice.com