Commission looks at changing form of city government

The city of Havre has basically been operating under the same form of government since it was formed in 1893.

That system is not capable of handling the complex issues faced by the city government today, the city’s Government Study Commission has concluded.

Those comments are included in a preliminary report to the community that the commission is preparing.

The commission reviewed the proposed document Tuesday night and hopes to finalize it at a 7 p.m. Monday at city hall.

The commission is proposing that Havre establish a city manager form of government under which the manager would run the day-to-day operations of the city under the direction of a City Commission that would include four commissioners, each elected from one of the four wards, two commissioners elected at large and a mayor with substantially weakened authority who would be elected at large and be a voting commission member.

The commission also wants the city to adopt self-governing powers, which gives local authorities more control over the city’s operations.

The 1972 Montana Constitution allows cities to have such powers, and every Class A city in the state except Havre has adopted them already.

At Monday’s meeting, the commission will set a date for a public hearing on the proposed changes. If the commission decides to move forward, the matter will be placed on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

The present mayor-council form of government cannot “adequately handle the ever-increasing responsibilities in city government,” the temporary report said.

The report said that the present form of government “lacks a professional head,” instead relying on an elected mayor who may or may not have municipal experience.

Authority is spread over City Council and several board and commissioners, the report said.

The three-member Government Study Commission was elected in the 2014 election and has been soliciting public input since.