Open Letter to Ravalli County Local Government Study Commission

By Russ Lawrence, Hamilton

As someone who attended a meeting of the Local Government Study Commission in April and has followed it closely since its inception, I appreciate the groundwork that was prepared in advance, identifying potential alternative forms of government and other relevant issues, including that of non-partisan elections. I don’t particularly care whether these first arose within the commission or from outside—I don’t have time to research Montana law, and appreciate the fact that you did.
At that meeting, I spoke in favor of offering the non-partisan option on the ballot for all county offices, and I was not alone in doing so. The study commission itself was elected in a non-partisan manner, and I thought that Ravalli County voters did a good job of educating themselves, and electing a slate of capable and representative commissioners.
I was therefore stunned to discover that the non-partisan option for voting on County Commissioners was deleted from the draft report at a meeting that was noticed only as “Adoption of Tentative Report.” I had read that report, which included the non-partisan option. In fact, I sat next to commission member Alan Thompson at the KLYQ studio when he summarized the contents of the report on the air, including the non-partisan option for all offices. Had I any indication that such a major change was contemplated at the meeting, I would have attended. That public notice was clearly insufficient, and because of it, Ravalli County may soon find itself in the crosshairs of yet another expensive lawsuit for its habitual abuse of Montana’s notification standards.
Beyond such procedural issues, though, the three commission members voting to remove the non-partisan option seem to misunderstand some foundational concepts regarding American government. To claim that removing partisan designations from the ballot “tears away at the underlayment of democracy,” as Commissioner Schroeder stated, is specious at best, and at worst elevates partisan politics above the principles of democratic government.
I have known Ms. Schroeder for years, and believe she knows better. I regret that she was inundated with calls representing only one point of view, and expect that at properly noticed public meetings on the draft, she will hear a more balanced argument.
Those whom Schroeder heard from, who “strongly . . . believe in American government and representation,” as she said, should note that our Constitution has quite a bit to say about our rights as voters, but nowhere does it mention political parties. Nowhere.
Further, Montana law specifically allows non-partisan elections, and Ravalli County would not be the first or only Montana county to elect its commissioners on a non-partisan basis. That is hardly “tearing at the underlayment of democracy.”
Commissioner Thompson (elected via non-partisan ballot) noted that “people need to have the right to know who they are voting for, whether they are conservative, liberal, independent or Libertarian.” At both the state and national levels, however, the Republican Party is tearing itself apart over how to define “Republican” values. Commission member Boulanger himself has been among the loudest complainers that some of those running as Republicans are too liberal. If the Republican Party itself can’t agree on what the “R” stands for, it’s no longer useful as a label for voters, and we are better off with each candidate simply expressing their governing philosophy, and their stands on relevant issues, as clearly as they are able.
The Local Government Study Commission should put the question of non-partisan County Commissioner elections back in their report, and let the voters of Ravalli County debate its merits, and decide the issue.