Montana Title 17. State Finance § 17-7-121. Preliminary budget preparation and submission to governor and governor-elect

(1) Upon receipt of the completed forms and other available data and information, the budget director shall examine the same for the purpose of determining the necessity of the disbursements and funds requested and shall, on or before the date established in 17-7-112, submit in writing to the governor and to the governor-elect, if there is one, a preliminary budget for the ensuing biennium containing the detailed information required to be set forth in the budget to be submitted by the governor to the legislature.

(2) If requested by the governor-elect, the governor shall incorporate in the budget, as a separate section, the estimates, comments, and recommendations that the governor-elect may wish to make, and by the date established in 17-7-112, this section of the budget must be transmitted to the legislature and the legislative fiscal analyst without change. It is the duty of the governor-elect in recommending changes to show a balance between proposed disbursements and anticipated receipts.