Beaver Lodge and marijuana taxes pass, Havre city manager fails

Several ballot initiatives were on ballots in Tuesday’s election, and Hill County voters approved two new taxes but shot down a proposal to change the form of Havre’s city government.

A proposal to change Havre’s government to have a city manager take over most of the executive duties now held by the mayor narrowly failed, with 1,398 votes in favor and 1,517 against.

But a proposed mill levy to pay for replacing the Beaver Lodge in Camp Kiwanis in Beaver Creek Park passed by a 186-vote margin, 2,601-2,415.

The Hill County Park Board decided to go to the voters to get funding to replace the lodge, which opened in 1975, rather than repair it.

The board said the lodge had deteriorated over the years and become financially infeasible to repair or renovate.

Hill County also approved a marijuana option tax by a resounding margin, 3,719 to 1,215.

Blaine County already approved a marijuana option tax in the primary election, with a vote of 823-193.

And some statewide ballot measures also appeared in Tuesday’s election.

A constitutional amendment specifically requiring law enforcement to obtain warrants before taking digital data such as from cellphones or computers passed overwhelmingly, 82 percent to 18 percent.

Locally, Hill County voters supported the amendment 3,952-960, as did the voters in Chouteau County, 1,736-441, in Blaine County, 1,465-312, and in Liberty County, 693-168.

A referendum that would create criminal penalties for health care providers unless they do everything “medically appropriate and reasonable” to save the life of a baby after birth, including the rare possibility of birth after an attempted abortion, appears to have lost with 52 percent of the votes, 213,895, against with 48 percent, 194,43, in favor with 459 precincts fully reported and 204 partially reported.

That referendum had mixed support in this part of Montana.

Hill County narrowly voted against the referendum, 2,393-2,538, while Blaine County supported it 982-753, as did Chouteau County, 1,204-929, and Liberty County, 488-376.