The Madison County Commission conducted a public hearing on Sept. 6 in the Huntley Lodge at Big Sky Resort regarding the creation of the Big Sky Mountain Trail, Recreation, and Parks Special District.
The proposed district would expand the boundaries of the current three section park district created in 1988, located in the Big Sky Mountain Village, and strip it of its taxing authority. The district would work in conjunction with the Big Sky Meadow Trail, Recreation and Parks Special District, which the Gallatin County Commission passed in July.
The cooperative districts are to be administered by one board comprised of residents from both counties who either own property or are residents within the district. The Madison County Commission passed the Resolution of Intent unanimously, which begins a 30-day comment period. If the Commission doesn’t receive significant protests, they’ll likely pass the final resolution, creating the district and entering into an Interlocal Agreement with Gallatin County.
This process, which began last November, has been complicated due to the difficulty of creating a cohesive district which crosses county lines. This step is an important part of the legal procedure which had to be done in a similar timeline in both counties. If the Madison County Commission passes the final resolution in October, board positions will then be advertised and appointed in both counties.
To comment on the proposed district contact the Madison County Commissioner’s Office at (406) 843-4277 or by email at madco@madison.mt.gov.
– Katie Morrison
