Perhaps in recent years, a Ravalli County Attorney has communicated to the Ravalli Commissioners to follow their duty and contract to place county advertisements in a newspaper which is being published in Ravalli County. Perhaps a County Attorney said that it’s getting more difficult to absolutely argue that the Ravalli Republic is in fact mostly being published in Ravalli County.
Certainly people have spoken to and e-mailed the Commissioners about respecting Montana Law requiring Calls to Bid on county newspaper contract go out only to newspapers being published in Ravalli County. http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/18/7/18-7-411.htm
Recently, like regular citizens, attorneys and/or commissioners may well have tapped on the MCA icon of the quick opening, easy to search, Montana Code Annotated. Searched and were soon reminded that Montana counties must print a portion of a sample “Ballot Layout,” as well as information about locations of where to vote and information about how to vote in both the upcoming Primary and General Elections.
Knowing that, a strong Chairman might have reminded the Board of Commissioners about the responsibility of printing necessary and sufficient information regarding big changes on the ballot recommended by the Local Government Study Commission (LGSC). Necessary and sufficient information so that voters can read and understand and participate in discussion and go on to vote their preference for being governed by three OR by five Commissioners, with terms of four OR six years, elected by three newly created districts OR at-large from the entire county.
(For instance, this year Ravalli County votes on options. If the three commissioner option gets the most votes, then finally in 2018 Ravalli would vote for candidates for a three commissioner form of county government starting January 2019, along with five newly elected, or re-elected, county commissioners.)
Perhaps a strong commissioner communicated something like: Now is our one in ten year chance for voters to vote their preference for partisan OR non-partisan elections of county officers. This year, it’s also going to take a lot of square inches to fully inform the public of their upcoming chance to vote their preference for what’s called a partisan OR non-partisan TYPE of election for, in brief terms, the offices of Sheriff, County Attorney, Treasurer, Clerk of the Court, Clerk/Recorder/Election Administrator, and Public Administrator. Those offices are now elected by way of a partisan-type election. All five LGSC members favor all elected county officials (other than Commissioners) be elected by a non-partisan basis type of election. The term of five of the present county office holders expires at the end of 2018.
(Only then would the Treasurer, for example, be elected on the basis of a non-partisan election. Of course, partisan is not defined, but I gather partisan means endorsement and financial support from a political party. Chances are no more political party activists appointed as Treasurer of Ravalli County!)
Certainly people reminded the five Ravalli County Commissioners of the statutory duty of the County Elections Administrator who must select a method of notification that she or he believes reaches the largest number of potential voters. http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/13/17/13-17-203.htm (How come that critical statute has been publicly overlooked?)
How about Ravalli County Primary and General Election information appearing in the Bitterroot Star as well as the Ravalli Republic? For example, a Sample Ballot in one issue of both newspapers.
How about asking the County Commissioners to vote on that, and re-vote and award the 2016 newspaper contract to the low bidder, with the highest number of distributed newspapers. Luckily, that newspaper is absolutely owned, operated and controlled in Ravalli County.
Failure to re-vote leaves all five Commissioners associated with triple neglect. Neglect of not following Montana law. Neglect of fiscal responsibility. Neglect of the public that calls for Commissioners to communicate critical information them.
The public has certain rights to know what government is doing, so that the public may participate in county government. For instance, providing helpful information about upcoming Primary and General Elections.
It’s time now for the entire county to look for commissioner candidates resident in either District 2 (Stevensville), or District 3 (Corvallis, Pinesdale). Candidates who respect, rather than neglect, the public’s right to know, and the dollars and sense of fiscal responsibility.
If the three-commissioner option passes, the entire county will elect two at-large commissioners to each serve only a two-year term. All of us Ravalli County residents will vote for candidates for the two, two-year terms of County Commissioner, who potentially will become instrumental as Ravalli County begins the transition to governance by three County Commissioners (if voters choose that), from January 2019 forward.
Hopefully, those three commissioners will work well together with the five county officials who win in the 2018 General Election.
Bob Williams
Stevensville