County seeks mill levy for cemetery projects

Lake County voters will decide the fate of a mill levy to benefit multiple cemeteries in the county this November.

County commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday to place the levy vote on the ballot following a public hearing Monday that drew no members of the public.

If approved, the three-mill levy will raise approximately $200,000 over two years to fund the construction of permanent bathroom facilities at the Mountain View Cemetery in Ronan and the Pleasant View Cemetery in St. Ignatius. It also would fund a new maintenance shop for Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.

Commissioners said the impact for a homeowner whose home is valued at $200,000 would be $8.10 each year for the two-year period. Homeowners in Ferndale and Swan Lake would not be affected by the levy.

Commissioners first signaled their intent to put the measure before voters in January. Since then, the Commission received no comments regarding the mill levy.

Commissioners approved the ballot measure on a 2-0 vote Monday. Commissioner Steve Stanley, a member of the Lake County Cemetery Board, abstained. Commissioners Gale Decker and Bill Barron voted in favor.

Portable restrooms are in place at the Ronan and St. Ignatius cemeteries, but those must be removed since they are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Having (permanent) restrooms at Ronan and St. Ignatius will be a huge improvement,” Decker said Monday. “There’s a lot of traffic day in, and day out.”

In a separate action Tuesday, commissioners passed a resolution to designate a section of the Ronan cemetery as a veterans cemetery.

“With the new veterans section in Ronan, we’re expecting even more traffic and more visitors,” Decker said.