In Montana, Counties aren't allowed to borrow money to keep the general fund solvent. Their only recourse in the past, has been to issue warrants for payment to creditors. Been a long time since that has happened (1930s). Actually, the budget has increased significantly due to the added taxable valuations that come with increased activity in the patch. That activity has been largely responsible for most of the budget increases, so it's nice to see someone other than the farmers and ranchers doing their part to fund roads, schools, and a bunch of other assorted stuff that comes as a result of growth.