The Montana Constitution requires every incorporated city and town and every county to ask its citizens every 10 years if they want to have a Local Government Review Commission study the form of government to assess whether it is the best structure for the needs of citizens, or whether changes should be made. This opportunity to exercise grassroots democracy will be on the ballot in the June primary election in 2024.
Now is the time to become informed about this once-a-decade opportunity.
Why now? Because the local county and municipal officials, some of whom will be elected this November, will decide critical components of this opportunity, such as how many members each study commission will have and what resources they will have to work with.
Studying the existing form and powers of a local government and comparing them with other potential forms is called Local Government Review (LGR) or Study. The Montana Constitution established the LGR provision that gives voters this opportunity. Examples of previous LGR studies include Missoula adopting a city charter and Butte-Silver Bow consolidating its city and county governments. Currently 42 incorporated cities and towns have adopted self-governing powers as a result of local LGRs. Three of Montana’s counties, Anaconda/Deer Lodge, Butte/Silver Bow, and Fergus, have adopted self-governing powers.
The question to approve or reject a LGR of your incorporated city or town and your county will be included on every Montana primary election ballot in June 2024. Voters who live in a city or town will have to vote on two LGR questions, one for the county and one for the city or town.
If voters approve a LGR in June of 2024, they will elect LRG Study Commissioners in the November 2024 General Election. Any registered voter who is a resident of the local government and is not currently an elected official can run to serve on a Local Government Study Commission. These Study Commissioners will conduct the review and prepare and distribute a Final Report that includes any recommended local government changes that require voter approval. Along with the Final Report, the Study Commission must also provide a Minority Report (if there is one), and a plan of transition. The review process involves public hearings and informational presentations about existing forms and powers of local governments and public services. The Study Commission’s meetings and deliberations are subject to the Montana open meeting laws.
This highly democratic process allows citizens to ask important questions about how they are governed:
- What’s working?
- What’s not working?
- Is there a better way to govern ourselves?
- Are local citizens fairly represented?
- Is the government structure efficient and effective?
- Should our local government do more?
- Or less?
30-Minute Presentation Available for service clubs and civic organizations!
The League of Women Voters of Montana has a 30-minute presentation on the Local Government Review process developed and given by a League member who served as a Local Government Review Commissioner in the past. This presentation is available via Zoom anywhere in the state, and in person in the Missoula area. If you would like more information or to schedule a presentation for your organization, send an email to: montanalwv [at] gmail.com
Here are some additional resources:
Glossary of Terms for Local Government Review.
Visit the Local Government Review page of the Montana Local Government Center (LGC), Montana State University.
Download LGC Director Dan Clark's informative slides about the 2024 Montana Voter Review of local governments in our state, presented at the October 16 Helena LWV Member meeting in Helena. Visit the Local Government Center website (see above) for more information.
