Study Commission finalizes charter edits, presses Secretary of State for fire ballot language

The Butte‑Silver Bow Study Commission spent its meeting reviewing final edits to a proposed charter revision and pressing for clarity from the Montana Secretary of State about how fire services will appear on the November ballot.

Commissioner Mary McCormick urged clearer language in the final report to make the charter "more responsive to concerns and needs of both rural and urban residents," saying a current bullet point "doesn't make sense" and recommending a rewrite to reflect both constituencies. Commissioners agreed to incorporate that change into the draft.

A major portion of the meeting centered on ballot language for fire services. A commissioner representing the City of Port Orchard said the commission had sought guidance from the Secretary of State and from Dan Clark but had not received timely answers, and urged that voters be given multiple options rather than a restricted choice. "We're on the verge of sending things to the clerk and recorder and voting on a final report that explicitly outlines two options for the voters to decide," the commissioner said, adding that the commission had worked for a year and a half on the issue and did not want last‑minute surprises.

Chair responded that the clerk received certified language and would forward it to the Secretary of State for review. The chair read ballot question number four aloud: it lists three options for voters—(1) remove volunteer departments and have them operate independently of the city‑county; (2) adopt a unified system under Butte‑Silver Bow County authority covering both career and volunteer departments and appoint a volunteer fire coordinator; or (3) retain existing charter language governing fire services. The chair said the commission had a contingency plan: if the Secretary of State rejects the three‑option format, the commission would fall back to two options (existing charter vs. the unified system) that the commission had previously voted on.

Commissioners noted timing constraints. The chair said the clerk submitted six ballot questions for certification and that the commission expects a determination from the Secretary of State before the commission’s internal deadline of July 7. Multiple commissioners expressed frustration at the pace of responses from state offices and asked for documentation of prior outreach; one asked to receive copies of emails sent to the Secretary of State and Dan Clark going back to 2025.

The commission also debated wording on neighborhood or community councils and how much historical charter text to include. Commissioner Mary McCormick proposed simplifying the draft to a single sentence that the existing charter "provides the council of commissioners the power and duty to authorize community councils to advise the council of commissioners." Commissioners generally agreed to streamline that language rather than reproduce lengthy charter sections.

Members reviewed proposed changes that would transfer legal powers and duties of rural and volunteer fire district boards to Butte‑Silver Bow County and remove several subpoints (such as budget submission/testing requirements) that the commission said it had previously voted to delete. The chair said some fire‑related sections would be held in abeyance until the county attorney reviews final wording at next week's meeting.

Budget analysts' figures drew extended discussion. Commissioners reviewed data from Karen Hassler and debated whether the example in the draft should reflect four full‑time commissioners plus the mayor (which commissioners said would increase costs by about $295,932) versus a three‑commissioner example. Figures cited included a roughly $92,850 base commissioner salary and a computed $129,627 total with benefits used in examples; commissioners said they would reconcile the Excel calculations and mill‑levy impacts before finalizing the report.

The commission set a follow‑up meeting for next Monday at 5:30 p.m. and asked that the county attorney, or a deputy, attend because of outstanding legal questions. Staff member Shanna was noted to be on leave from June 30 to July 13, and commissioners said they would check whether she could still process materials while away. The meeting adjourned after a moved and seconded motion to close.

The commission's next procedural step is the final review scheduled for next week; the chair and several members said they expect the Secretary of State's determination before the July 7 internal deadline so certified ballot language can be finalized.