Helena, Montana
| Helena, Montana | |
 | |
| General information | |
Mayor of Helena
Wilmot Collins | |
| Last mayoral election: | 2021 |
| Next mayoral election: | 2025 |
| Last city council election: | 2023 |
| Next city council election: | 2025 |
| City council seats: | 5[1] |
| City website | |
| Composition data | |
| Population: | 32,091 |
| Race: | White 88.1% African American 0.6% Asian 1.1% Native American 2.1% Pacific Islander 0.1% Multiple 7.0% |
| Ethnicity: | Hispanic or Latino origin 4.0% |
| Median household income: | $69,341 |
| High school graduation rate: | 96.1% |
| College graduation rate: | 50.4% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census and 2023 ACS data. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1%. | |
| Related Helena offices | |
| Montana Congressional Delegation Montana State Legislature Montana state executive offices | |
Helena is a city in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The city's population was 32,091 as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Click on the links below to learn more about the city's...
- Mayor
- City council
- Other elected officials
- Elections
- Census information
- Budget
- Contact information
- Ballot measures
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Helena utilizes a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council, which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body, appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the city council's policy and legislative initiatives.[2]
Mayor
The mayor is a member of the city council. He or she presides over city council meetings and official city ceremonies. The mayor also represents the city on the state, national, and international levels.[2]
The current Mayor of Helena is Wilmot Collins (nonpartisan). Collins assumed office in 2018.
City manager
The city manager is Helena's chief administrative officer. Appointed by the city council, the city manager's responsibilities include overseeing the city's day-to-day operations, planning and implementing the city's annual budget, carrying out council policies, and hiring most city government employees.[2]
City council
The Helena City Commission is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for approving and adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances.[2]
The city commission is made up of five members, including the mayor. All five members are elected at large to four-year terms.[2]
Other elected officials
Ballotpedia does not cover any additional city officials in Helena, Montana.
Mayoral partisanship
Helena has a Democratic mayor. As of September 2025, the mayors of 35 state capitals are affiliated with the Democratic Party, seven are Republicans, one is independent, and two are nonpartisan. The partisan affiliation of five state capital mayors is unknown. While most mayoral elections in state capital cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party.
Elections
2025
The city of Helena, Montana, is holding general elections for mayor and city council on November 4, 2025. A primary is scheduled for September 9, 2025. The filing deadline for this election was June 11, 2025.
2023
- See also: City elections in Helena, Montana (2023)
The city of Helena, Montana, canceled the city commission primary scheduled for September 12, 2023, and the general elections scheduled for November 7, 2023, after only the incumbents filed for each seat. Two seats were up for regular election and one seat was up for special election. The filing deadline for this election was June 19, 2023.
2021
The city of Helena, Montana, held general elections for mayor and city council on November 2, 2021. The primary scheduled for September 14, 2021, was canceled. The filing deadline for this election was June 21, 2021.
Census information
The table below shows demographic information about the city.
| Demographic Data for Helena | |
|---|---|
| Helena | |
| Population | 32,091 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 16 |
| Race and ethnicity** | |
| White | 90.5% |
| Black/African American | 0.8% |
| Asian | 0.9% |
| Native American | 1.1% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 0.6% |
| Multiple | 6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.8% |
| Education | |
| High school graduation rate | 96.1% |
| College graduation rate | 50.4% |
| Income | |
| Median household income | $69,341 |
| Persons below poverty level | 9.1% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | |
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | |
Budget
The city's budget process operates by fiscal years running from July 1 to June 30 of the next year. The city's departments will annually submit budget requests to the city manager. The city manager will then use these requests to develop and submit a budget to the city commission for review. The city commission will also hold hearings to allow for public input in the budget process. The city commission will then adopt the budget and make amendments if they are needed.[3][4]
Revenue and expenditure by year
The total revenue and expenditure figures were pulled from the all funds revenue and expenditures tables in the city's annual financial reports.[4][5][6][7]
| City of Helena historical revenue and expenditures | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year | Budget type | Total revenue | Total expenditure |
| 2025 | Proposed | $99,678,251 | $109,047,007 |
| 2024 | Amended | $114,361,536 | $150,220,968 |
| 2023 | Actual | $92,417,653 | $138,454,386 |
| 2022 | Actual | $90,947,538 | $85,080,185 |
| 2021 | Actual | $91,035,637 | $83,349,889 |
| 2020 | Actual | $85,750,827 | $79,398,358 |
| 2019 | Actual | $72,743,151 | $78,940,334 |
| 2018 | Actual | $66,992,854 | $69,341,259 |
Contact information
Mayor's office
316 N. Park Ave.
Helena, Montana 59623
Phone: 406-447-8000
City Clerk's office
City County Building, Room 323
316 N. Park Ave.
Helena, MT 59623
Phone: 406-447-8410
Click here for city council contact information.
Ballot measures
The city of Helena is in Lewis and Clark County. A list of ballot measures in Lewis and Clark County is available here.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The mayor is included in this number as a member of the city commission.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 City of Helena, "City Charter," accessed December 8, 2021
- ↑ City of Helena, "Annual Budget Development Schedule," accessed December 8, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 City of Helena, "Final Budget Fiscal Year 2022," accessed December 8, 2021
- ↑ City of Helena, "Final Budget Fiscal Year 2023," accessed October 18, 2022
- ↑ City of Helena, "Preliminary Budget Fiscal Year 2024," accessed August 25, 2023
- ↑ City of Helena, "Preliminary Budget Fiscal Year 2025," accessed October 29, 2024
