Butte-Silver Bow schedules public hearings to amend 2026 public-health budget for opioid, harm-reduction and assessment work

Butte-Silver Bow’s health officer, Karen Malochnie, asked the council on Feb. 4 to schedule public hearings on several FY2026 budget amendments. The requests included $32,079 to add to an opioid abatement proposal, $3,000 for harm-reduction surveys funded by the Montana Public Health Institute, $50,000 to support a comprehensive community health needs assessment (funded by Intermountain Health and Saint James Healthcare), $10,000 for a Bridger Care contract to deliver the LIFT (Linking Families and Teens) program, $72,035 for an extended chronic-disease contract with DPHHS, and $10,000 for public-health preparedness planning tied to influenza/H5N1 threats.

Director Malochnie presented each request and the council opened public hearings for each item. Multiple proponents spoke briefly in support of the amendments, and the council closed the hearings with no registered opponents speaking on the record. The hearings will be scheduled for formal consideration under the published public-notice timeline; no final budget-approval votes occurred during this meeting.