Havre city council again looking at charter government proposal

The Havre City Council Ordinance Committee met Monday after the council meeting and discussed Havre changing to a charter form of government.

Ordinance Committee member Lindsey Ratliff said she and former member  Caleb Hutchins met a couple of months ago and looked through examples of different cities that used charters.

She said the last time the ordinance committee proposed a charter was in 2016.

“What I took out from that discussion was all we need to do is figure out the language you want that gives yourself self-governing powers and then just add to whatever your city’s code is,” she said. 

Andrew Brekke, who took Hutchins’ spot on the committee and on the council, said what most cities do is have a straightforward concept then add on the existing form of government on the back, and say, “We are not adopting a new form of government, we are adopting the same form of government with self-governing powers.”

He said there are two ways to do it and the way the council is choosing to is basically by referendum: Placing it on the ballot.

If they do it through the study commission, he said, the study commission makes the recommendation, the public supports the recommendation and then goes to the public body to make the determination from there.

The study commission is based on a constitutional trigger every 10 years, he said, adding that if the public votes it down then it is based on every three years.

“After three years, then the council can do what it sees fit,” Brekke said.

Ratliff said she thinks 2020 is going to be a huge turnout in terms of voters and it’s a good time for them to put this on the ballot.

Aug. 10 is the latest, she said, to type something up to submit it.

Something has to be in writing, Brekke said. It’s too much of a document to be conceptual in general.

He said Mayor Tim Solomon supports this and thinks the public will support it.

“It’s not a radically wild concept,” he said.

Ratliff said if they get this on the ballot they would like to plan meetings to educate the public to get them informed on what changing to a charter form of government means.

The Ordinance Committee will meet Monday, June 15 at 7 p.m. to discuss the language of the charter to bring in front of the next City Council meeting Monday, July 6.