Bill signed into law May 12
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
A new law will reshape funding for Big Sky’s health and wellness care and improve the elected representation for Big Sky’s schools. In addition, leaders believe that Senate Bill 260’s negotiated amendments created a fair compromise that may deescalate tensions between the neighboring communities of Big Sky and Ennis.
In the two years since the Big Sky Roadmap first outlined local plans to restructure special districts that currently overlap from Ennis into Big Sky, the two communities—close-yet-strangely-distant by way of indirect public roads—have been at odds. Petitions to withdraw from the Madison Valley Hospital District, rallying cries through social media, and countering lawsuits brought the issue to a boiling point until a proposed bill sought to eradicate the stalemate by changing the laws that dictate how communities withdraw from special districts.
“[Senate Bill] 260 really went a long ways toward addressing some needs in our community that have existed forever and have been getting more exacerbated the last decade or so,” said Kevin Germain, board chair of the Big Sky Resort Area District which helped lead Big Sky’s efforts, in an interview with Explore Big Sky.
In the bill’s initial committee hearing on Feb. 12, Madison Valley leaders and residents strongly opposed SB 260, bringing a school bus full of opponents to testify in Helena. Allen Rohrback, CEO of Madison Valley Medical Center—the hospital funded in part by the tax dollars in question—responded to the bill by sharing plans to expand medical services in Big Sky to serve its hospital district taxpayers, including the possibility of a physical clinic in Big Sky to address complaints regarding lack of access to the Ennis-based hospital.
The bill changed shape as it moved through the Montana Senate. Amendments created gradual funding transitions as willing Montana communities—currently Big Sky—potentially withdraw from special districts. One key amendment outlined a gradual three-year funding transition of special district tax dollars, helping to get senators on board as it passed on April 5, by a narrow 25-23 margin, and advanced to the house.
Still, the bill represented a “financial cliff” for the hospital, whose leaders continued to oppose it until parties settled on further amendments. Finally, an agreement included a slower, eight-year reconciliation period for hospital districts, motivating legislators to advance the bill to the governor’s desk by the end of April.
Gov. Gianforte signed the bill on May 12. Now, Big Sky and Ennis will have a legal path to settling district boundaries without requiring approval from the Madison County Commission, an outcome that materialized faster than expected for the bill’s proponents.
Unexpected cooperation
Rohrback told EBS that both sides were likely surprised they reached a fair compromise.
Until parties sat down to negotiate during one mid-April weekend, Rohrback did not feel like a win-win situation was possible or likely. Existing statute did not allow creative cooperation—withdrawal meant immediate and complete withdrawal—and neither did the senate-approved version of SB 260, which transitioned tax dollars over a relatively short period of three years.
The prolonged conflict, legislation and litigation was beginning to feel distracting for the hospital, Rohrback said, and he suspected it was for the Resort Tax board as well. Germain, of Resort Tax, said the compromise brought both satisfaction for Big Sky, and relief for those engaged in the monthslong battle.
Legislators praised both parties for settling the dispute on a local level. After hearing joint support for the newly amended bill in an April 15 hearing in the House Local Government Committee, Rep. Peter Strand (D-Bozeman) said, “What is the magic here… because we need to replicate this.”
Rohrback is confident the eight-year reconciliation period will allow the hospital to build long-term plans and ensure continued health care services.
“We were fortunate that the legislators, the lobbyists, and then the Resort Tax board and the hospital district were ready to really get serious about a compromise,” Rohrback told EBS. “… The amendment, I think, is a good one. I think both sides were ready to do it. It does give us some good long-term planning ability. We do not anticipate any reduction in services now. In fact, we’re going to continue to plan and grow, and expand with the community. So we felt really good about the amendment.”
Heather Morris was one of many Big Sky citizens who volunteered their time to support recent efforts including SB 260.
Morris knew it would be a contentious affair to disrupt the longstanding ties between Big Sky taxpayers and Madison Valley special districts. Even still, she underestimated the passion that both communities would show in the process of reaching an agreement.
“Having had discussions around this topic for over a decade, I am in a little bit of a state of disbelief that we are here, but I am also super grateful to so many people,” Morris said, highlighting various leaders in Big Sky, and the Ennis School District for understanding the needs of its families who send their kids to Big Sky schools.
While she saw near-immediate cooperation between school districts, Morris said it was the Madison Valley Hospital District’s eventual willingness to negotiate—after months of outright opposition—that brightened the dim light at the end of the tunnel.
More than 120 Big Sky community members offered written support of SB 260, and roughly two dozen offered to testify in person and drove to Helena, according to Jackie Haines, BSRAD director of economic and strategic development. Haines believes those efforts showed state legislators how meaningful this issue was for Big Sky.
“I really feel that that was the thing that made the difference,” she said. She also gave credit to legislators including Sen. Cora Neumann (D-Bozeman), Sen. Tony Tezak (R-Ennis), Rep. Alanah Griffith (D-Big Sky), Rep. Ken Walsh (R-Twin Bridges) and Sen. Pat Flowers (D-Belgrade).
“All of those local representatives worked really hard on this bill,” Haines said. “And I think it’s such a great example of how much of a collaboration this took to get it to the point of mutual agreement.”
On at least two occasions, Madison Valley community members loaded up the Ennis Mustangs school bus and drove to Helena to testify against the bill. Germain said it was “awesome” and “awe inspiring” to see groups of motivated citizens show up to represent their communities.
“Hats off to the Madison Valley,” he said. “They’re passionate about their schools, they’re passionate about their hospital—I guess to sum it all up, they’re passionate about their community… So, you have two proud communities that first were at conflict on a topic, and then came together on it.”
Germain and his wife lived in Ennis for 10 years, raising children before moving to Big Sky for the past 13 years. He reflected on his “dear friends” and “tremendous” respect and love for the Madison Valley. He believes he brought a unique perspective to the negotiating table, with a “win-win” solution in mind.
At Big Sky cocktail parties and over coffee chats over the years, Germain said he’s heard the same complaints regarding taxation and representation.
“Well, talk is cheap. Talk means nothing,” he said. “And so, what I saw over the last year and a half here in Big Sky, is a group of citizens get together and say, ‘let’s do something about this.’”
Germain noted that “conflict takes courage” and citizens like Heather Morris not only committed their time, but they weren’t afraid to put their names on a serious topic—a refreshing change of pace from anonymous negativity often seen on social media.
“That is not action, and that’s just being a negative community member,” Morris said.
On the contrary, Morris and Germain each noted the pertinence of one famous Margaret Mead quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Burying the hatchet
With two years of growing dissonance between Big Sky and Ennis—word-of-mouth narratives warned of the rich getting richer, tax dollars being stolen, and the power of large hospitals and intimidating lawyers—leaders on both sides are hopeful their communities will recognize a fair compromise.
From Rohrback’s perspective with the Madison Valley Medical Center—the “very small, critical access… independent, community-owned” hospital that faced massive funding shortfalls under existing withdrawal laws—the community now seems to have a mixed sentiment.
Some are glad the fight is over, and others still believe that Big Sky belongs in the Madison Valley Hospital District.
Germain empathizes with the anger of Madison Valley community members whose taxes are expected to eventually rise as Big Sky taxpayers no longer contribute to certain special districts.
“This became, unfortunately, very contentious… understandably contentious,” Germain said. However, he believes the result was “a really good compromise,” and is hopeful that the details of the agreement will become widely known across both communities.
Rohrback said the hospital is fortunate to have very strong and loyal supporters in the Madison Valley community, who showed up in droves to prevent Big Sky taxpayers from leaving the hospital district. For those supporters, he thinks it might take some time for their sentiment to simmer down.
“This [agreement] was an opportunity to ensure that there was no risk to critical services in the remaining part of our district,” Rohrback said. “It was really becoming really distracting for the hospital, and our community. So this really was a good compromise, a good resolution to this problem.”
While the hospital district will lose its Big Sky taxpayer revenue gradually over eight years, Rohrback added that the district’s taxes will not automatically rise, nor does he anticipate any additional property tax mills in the near future. If that changes, local voters would have the final say.
Both Rohrback and Germain expect to see similar friction in the future, but they believe the outcome of SB 260 may offer a framework of collaboration.
“The communities need each other,” Rohrback said. “So hopefully, this is actually the start of something that says, when there’s a conflict, there really is a way to solve it—really working together.”
Big Sky providers look forward to expanding resources
With the legislative work complete, Big Sky providers can now plan on improving services, from Wellness in Action and the Bozeman Health Big Sky Regional Medical Center, to the Big Sky School District.
Katie Grice, board treasurer for WIA, was deeply involved as an advocate for SB 260. She wrote to EBS that the new funding source—a potential Big Sky wellness district—will “no doubt” allow WIA to expand its services like affordable counseling programming, community health worker support and youth scholarships.
“For 20 years, WIA has served as the community leader in behavioral health initiatives and the general wellbeing of Big Sky residents,” Grice stated in the email. “Much of this work is accomplished by identifying and bridging the gap in barriers to accessing services, such as provider availability and cost. The district’s ability to provide stable funding with local control and accountability will benefit WIA and Big Sky greatly.”
Bozeman Health and the Big Sky Medical Center abstained from becoming involved with Big Sky’s Wellness Coalition that led the hospital district withdrawal efforts, but a Bozeman Health spokesperson wrote to EBS that if new funds become available to support health services in the region, the provider “looks forward to continuing to partner with the community to sustain and expand services for southern Gallatin County.”
On the school side, Jackie Haines noted the Montana School Boards Association played a key role in helping the school districts reach an agreement.
BSSD Superintendent Dr. Dustin Shipman wrote to EBS that SB 260 opens avenues for the school district to better serve its taxpayers and its students who cannot access their school of residence, referring to families living in the Ennis School District on the Madison County side of Big Sky.
“Many people worked on this bill, and we are pleased with the outcome as BSSD will have the ability to request dollars for isolated pupils and ultimately have a clearer process to petition for a boundary adjustment to reflect the service area,” Shipman stated in the email.
The Ennis School District did not respond to emails requesting comment.
Shipman added that numerous other bills that passed this legislative session will benefit public schools, with SB 260 and House Bill 864 impacting Big Sky, too.
Big Sky School District voters also passed a general fund levy for teacher housing in the May 6 election, just one of a handful of other voter-approved efforts impacting Big Sky’s future. With SB 260 being signed into law, May 2025 will be remembered as a pivotal moment in Big Sky.
“I’m really proud of how this community has rallied and come together on these really important topics,” Germain said. “I hope this is wind in our sails for other big issues that we should be working on together… That I know we can tackle.”
