05/14/2024
The Richey Town Office will be closed from Wednesday, May 15, through Tuesday, May 21. If you need anything in the meantime, please call (406) 773-5634. Thanks!
05/08/2024
As we mentioned in our Spring 2024 Newsletter, the Local Government Review election cycle has begun. The broad purpose of this review is to determine whether the residents of Richey want to establish--and pay for--a local government study commission to examine the power, form, and plan of the Town’s government and to submit recommendations on the government. More detailed information, including the different forms of recognized government in the State of Montana, can be found at this link: Scope of Montana’s Local Government Review. Richey is a Commission-Executive (Council-Mayor) form of government, which is by far the most commonly adopted form of municipal government in Montana.
The first major milestone in this process is the June 4 primary election, at which all Town of Richey residents will have the option to vote for or against establishing a study commission (some of you will be receiving absentee ballots by mail early next week). If the majority vote is "against," then that will be the end of this cycle for Richey. If the majority vote is "for," then interested study commission candidates can file for the three commission positions, and all Town of Richey residents can vote for their candidate of choice at the November 5 general election. You can find a bit more detail about this process in a recent Ranger-Review article.
Should the Town’s residents vote to establish a study commission, the Town will be required to pay for the costs of the study, including election costs and the cost of training commission members. At its January 9, 2024 meeting, the Town Council established a budget of $12,000 to fund a three-person commission, and this funding would be in the form of a special additional mill levy authorized by law for the 2024 tax year. As a point of comparison, the Town of Richey’s total assessed mill levy for the current year was around $35,500.
Please keep in mind that, pursuant to state law, certain topics are NOT within the scope of the study commission:
- A performance review of, or removal of, elected officials, local government staff, or members of appointed boards
- A review of local government policies, ordinances, programs, or services
- A review of local government taxes, fees, or assessments
- A review of laws regulating the election of local officials
- A review of laws that require or regulate planning or zoning
The Town will continue to provide updates as the review process progresses. If you have any questions about the Local Government Review process, please visit the MSU Local Government Center website or contact the Town Office. Paper copies of any documents linked above or otherwise associated with the review process are available upon request from the Town Office. Thank you in advance for participating in this very important civic activity!
