More support for city manager

Havre’s Public Works Department works well with other departments. It helps other departments where needed and they reciprocate, Deputy Public Works Director Jeff Jensen said Monday night.

Just Monday, the department lent a backhoe to the fire department which was fighting a hay fire west of the city.

But still, Jensen said, it would be helpful to have a city manager form of government.

The manager would help keep politics out of the day-to-day operations of city government.

Jensen was speaking to the Study Commission that is considering alternative forms of government for the city.

Jensen was the latest ranking administrator to be questioned by the commission members. The discussions are aimed at finding out ways to improve the operation of the city.

Other department heads said they, too, favored or at least would be open to the idea of a city manager.

To date, the biggest two issues facing the committee is whether the city should adopt a charter form of government and whether it should adopt a city manager form of government.

Under the present form of government, the part-time mayor is the chief administrative officer and runs the day-to-day operations, overseeing the department heads. The city could keep the same form of government, commission members said, or they could adopt a city manager system. The city manager would be an expert in municipal affairs and would answer to the City Council and mayor.

Jensen told the commission he had few problems with the operation of city government, and the city was “a good place to work.”

The commission is talking to various department heads and leaders about changes they ought to look at if they decide there is a need for a change in the government structure.

Perry Atchison, the acting chair of the commission, said the panel hopes to interview a few more department heads, then come up with a few general ideas on what direction it should take.

Then, it will hold public hearings to see what the populace thinks about the proposals.

Atchison said the commission hopes to present a proposal to the voters by the 2016 primary election.