Panel kicks off Troy government review to determine if changes need to be made

There are some familiar faces on Troy’s new Commission of Local Government Review Board that were sworn in on Jan. 9. Troy City Clerk and Treasurer Tracy Rebo recited the short oath of office to former city council members Fran McCully and Phillip Fisher, and former mayor Tony Brown.

The commissioners were elected to study the existing form of local government and compare it with other forms to determine if any changes should be proposed to voters.

This buffet-style of local government offers five options and is a product of Montana adopting a new constitution in 1972. In Montana Code Annotated Title 7, Chapter 3, the options and regulations for selecting alternate forms of government are lined out.

Every 10 years, Montanans have the opportunity to vote whether they want to review their local government.

Troy’s current form of government is commission-executive with a side of charter, which was established in 1987. A charter gives a municipality powers to self-govern, whereas historically they only had general powers granted by the legislature.

Dan Clark, the director of the Local Government Center at Montana State University, said Troy’s charter came about because they own a public utility, which is not a power granted by the legislature. “It’s like a local constitution for the City of Troy,” Clark said of the charter.

Council member Kimberly Rowse holds the position of ex-officio for the commission. As a nonvoting member, Rowse assists in whatever capacity she can for the purpose of the commission performing its function. Her duties could range from acting as a liaison with local government to helping the commission develop a budget.  

Rowse went to Bozeman on Dec. 8-9 to attend a training session put on by the Local Government Center for cities and counties whose voters opted for the review.

One of the first orders of business for the commission was to elect an official who would set up meeting times and delegate assignments to the other members. Brown unofficially nominated Fisher and McCully agreed. “There you have it,” said Rowse, but then encouraged a more formal Roberts Rules of Order-style nomination.

Early conversation was focused on the commission forming a budget and keeping track of all expenditures. Rebo said the city has levied $10,000 for the commission, but budgeted $7,000. She said the commission wanted to create a financial buffer to make sure they don’t overspend their budget.

The commission is required to have monthly meetings to inform and engage the public. Those meetings must be posted 48 hours in advance.

In Montana Code Annotated, and reiterated by Rowse, it states commissions could benefit from forming a cooperative with another city of similar makeup to share experiences and results from any studies performed.

Troy’s vote to review its form of government was narrowly passed by a vote of 139 for and 122 against. McCully said it’s important to make sure voters are aware of what they voted for. “We need to let the people know what we have. Do they really understand what our form of government is?” she said.

Clark said informing voters of the powers of their government is part of a study commission’s job. “The important thing to remember is it’s not the people, it’s the process,” he said. Ultimately, the commission’s findings are brought before the citizens to decide if they want to adopt any changes.

With none of the commission members pinpointing a specific change they would like to adopt, they’re open to the possibility the review could be an exercise in civic engagement.

“We need to have good information on the roles and responsibilities of the commission, so they’re clearly defined for the public,” Fisher said.

Rowse said at the training she attended in Bozeman they vetoed the term “power” and adopted “responsibility” in its place to describe the commission’s duty. “Because it’s not power, it’s power of the people. And that’s who we serve,” she said.

The commissioners are well aware of the challenges they face to get the public involved in the debate. They want the courtroom to be packed for the next meeting.

“This is your government. This is what you voted on in 1987,” Fisher said. “We need them to participate in what we’re doing.”

Clark said he would be happy to come up to Lincoln County and help with public discussions as the City of Troy and Lincoln County review their forms of government.

The commission plans to have Troy’s charter and the optional forms of government definitions available to the public at their next meeting at 2 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Troy City Hall.