Voters to decide on tricky resolution

This primary election, voters in the city of Malta and county of Phillips will be asked whether or not to study their respective forms of government. The 1972 Montana Constitution affords people the opportunity to do so.

“We are mandated by law, every ten years, to put it to the vote of the people to see if they want to study our form of government,” said Carolyn Schmoeckel Malta City Clerk and Treasure.

Schmoeckel explained that currently the city of Malta has a Commission Executive Form of government, or a Mayor Council.

Resolution #1166 will be on the June 3 ballot as the State of Montana requires that each unit of local government shall conduct an election once every ten years to determine whether the local government will undertake a local government review.

Sometimes, people misinterpret the purpose of the government study, Schmoeckel said.

“People get confused when they say ‘yes, I want to study our government’,” said Schmoeckel. “It is not a study on employees, the elected officials, how we conduct our meetings, ordinances or resolutions. You are authorizing the study of our form of government. It doesn’t change everyday operations.”

If resolution #1166 passes, it will be at a cost of $17,500 to taxpayers to conduct the study. The study, which takes place over a three year period, and three commissioners will be elected in the general election in November to study the form of government currently used in Malta. Those three elected study commissioners who are elected – only Malta City residents can run -- then must attend a mandatory three-day training in Bozeman in December.

The last time the study commission was on the June ballot was in 2004 it passed. Following the study, the voters decided to vote against changing the form of government used in Malta.

Voted on to that commission were George Knudsen, James Brady and Shirley Leg.

The resolution passed in the primary with 365 votes for and 271 against.

If passed, the City of Malta will need to levy mills to fund the study.

At the county level, the same study is on the county-wide ballot. The price to taxpayers in Phillips County would have the same price tag of $17,500. In 2004, the county government review was approved with 695 votes and 665 against. Saco voters approved a review commission for the town of Saco with 54 votes for 25 against and only in Dodson was the measure voted down with 19 for and six against.

“It is the same review as the City of Malta,” said Marian Ereaux, Phillips County Clerk and Recorder. “It passed 10 years ago and the study commission decided to leave (the county government) as a commission.”