Vol.
31 No. 12 DECEMBER 2002
HIGHLIGHTS—INSIDE THIS ISSUE
2003 HOLIDAYS AND
MILEAGE RATE......................... 2
LOSS CONTROL CONFERENCE...... 3
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING............. 5
GAMBLING MACHINE FEES.... 8
ONLINE COUNTY NAME REGISTRATION.... 9
NOMINATIONS
FOR VOLUNTEERISM. 10
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
FEATURES STRATEGIC PLANNING
MACo
Board of Directors, affiliated county elected officials, MACo committee chairs
and subsidiary organizations met November 20-21 to plan for MACo’s future. MSU’s Local Government Center (Jane
Jelinski, Judy Mathre and Cathy Conover) provided facilitation.
The group progressed through five
productive steps:
1)
Identifying MACo’s important values
2)
Writing a new vision statement
3)
Listing MACo’s weaknesses, external threats, Strengths, and
opportunities
4)
Planning actions to use strengths to develop opportunities
5)
Setting goals and action plans.
MACo’s Vision Statement
MACo enhances the public service mission of
counties by promoting integrity and providing proactive leadership while
acknowledging and respecting Montana’s diversity.
MACo’s Goals
1. To educate and develop
relationships with legislators, state officials and local elected officials
regarding county structure, budgeting and operations
2. To provide education on
self-determination techniques such as charter government and functional consolidation, and facilitating
agreements
3. To educate the public using
press releases distributed to local media to market county government
4. To promote effective tax
reform including consideration of general sales tax.
SUGGESTED ACTION STEPS
FOR MACo GOALS
GOAL
ONE: To
educate and develop relationships with legislators, state officials and local
elected officials regarding county structure, budgeting and operations
SUGGESTED ACTIONS
● During district meetings,
prepare a packet or presentation for commissioners and
for legislators
·
MACo provides a reception for legislators and
provides a brief packet of information
·
Provide a hotline to MACo during legislative session that legislators can use to ask
questions
about pending bills
·
Invite some legislators to attend new county
officials orientation
·
More commissioners should be present every day at
the legislative sessions
·
Commissioners attending the legislature wear a
button stating
“Ask me about county government”
·
MACO Policy Statement modified and provided to
legislators
·
Provide a follow-up to the session including a
report card on how each legislator voted
·
Expand the box lunch
·
Lobbying starts at home, before the session
·
Conference calls with legislators
GOAL
TWO: To
provide education on self-determination techniques such as charter government
and functional consolidation, and facilitating agreements
SUGGESTED
ACTIONS
·
Provide a major workshop on the voter review process,
and the implications of charter government,
and functional consolidation and regionalizing services
·
Conduct a survey of existing interlocal agreements
and models of alternative arrange- ments;
an article in the MACo newsletter about the resources available
·
Develop a certification and continuing education
credit program for commissioners
(An education committee was
appointed.)
GOAL
THREE: To
better educate the public using press releases distributed to local media to
market county government
SUGGESTED
ACTIONS
·
Ask NACo for training on how to effectively utilize
the media
● Develop the message with focus on what
counties are accomplishing, so people can see what counties are actively doing
·
Pursue opinion/editorial features in newspapers,
both issue-oriented and opinion- oriented
·
Provide a workshop to coach participants on what is
important to write
·
MACo to send out news releases about meetings and
what was done / discussed
● MACo send news releases to individual
counties to release to their local press
·
Create a media committee to advise MACo staff to develop the media concept
(A media committee was appointed.)
GOAL
FOUR: To
promote effective tax reform including consideration of general sales tax
SUGGESTED
ACTIONS
·
MACo prepares and disseminates an opinion/editorial
piece about counties’ support of broad-based
tax restructuring
·
Educate public about tax bills - pie charts, other
demonstrations to indicate property tax
distributions
·
MACo work with legislator Jim Peterson on
comprehensive sales tax bill
During discussion on legislative process, the group recommended that the Board of Directors send a letter indicating their concern about presenting a united voice to the legislature and how to resolve the problem of individual counties opposing legislation being supported by the Association.
Commissioners have a commitment to
their electors to represent their county’s interests, even when they conflict
with the Association. Counties not seriously
affected by a proposal should abstain from comment, but they might have a
responsibility to speak out against a MACo position if it has a significantly
negative affect on their counties.
Those counties should give MACo advance notice that they will take an
opposing position.
District chairs should convene a
meeting of the counties they represent to discuss the issue.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
DECEMBER
December 3-5 Joint
JPA/JPIA Trustees Retreat; Miles City
December 5-6 County Attorneys Association; Billings
December 9 MACo Board meeting; Helena’ 4:00 pm
December 9-11 Elected
Officials Conference; Colonial Hotel
December 16 JPIA Bond Working Group; MACo
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 6 58th LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS
January 14-16 Loss Control Conference; MACo
January 29-30 BOS Joint Workforce Council; Helena
February 5-7 County Superintendents of Schools;
Helena
February 18 State Drought Council
February 19-21 Midwinter / DES Conference; Colonial Hotel
February 28 NACo Legislative Conference;
Washington DC
March 28-30 National Forest Counties and Schools
Coalition
April GASB Training--Management & Analysis
April 7-10 County Road Supervisors;
Fairmont
April 28 Tentative Legislative
Session end
April 28-May 2 County Magistrates Association;
Lewistown
May 5-23 MACo District meetings/ Growth
Counties
May 28-31 NACo WIR Conference; Reno
July 10-16 NACo Annual Conference; Milwaukee
2003 HOLIDAYS
January 1, Wednesday.. .. New Year’s Day
January 20, Monday......... Martin Luther King, Jr.
February 17, Monday......... ... Presidents Day
May 26, Monday......... ...... Memorial Day
July 4, Friday . Independence Day
September 1, Monday......... ... Labor Day
October 13, Monday......... ..... Columbus Day
November 11, Tuesday.. Veterans Day
November 27, Thursday. Thanksgiving Day
December 25, Thursday. .... Christmas Day
2003 MILEAGE RATE
2003 mileage rate for Montana local government is 36˘ per mile for the first 1,000 miles of travel. This rate is a DECREASE from 36.5˘ last year. The 2003 rate goes into effect on January 1, 2003. The rate for mileage over 1,000 miles is three cents less (33˘) per mile. (2-18-503 MCA)
Holiday
greetings
and
BEST WISHES!
From
mACo STAFF
SAFETY RAY SEZ
Ray Barnicoat
MACo Risk Manager
Some big changes will be occurring in the annual MACo Loss
Control Conference. This year the Loss Control Conference will not be
part of the MACo Mid-Winter Meeting / Governor’s DES Conference. The problem has been that the Loss Control
Conference schedule was in conflict with the DES schedule. A number of DES
Coordinators are also Safety Officers and they were unable to attend the loss
control sessions. Conference surveys also indicated there was just too much
going on in that full week.
The
Loss Control Conference will be held in Helena, starting Tuesday, January 14,
at 1:00 pm and ending at noon on Thursday, January 16. The conference will be
held at the MACo Conference Room. A
block of motel rooms has been reserved at the Fairfield Inn until January 2,
2003. You should make your reservation early in order to insure the state rate
of $35.00 plus tax. When reserving your room be sure to request the MACo room
block.
The program will address critical
liability and safety issues. Tuesday afternoon, January 14th, will be a repeat session of the October Jail
Training. This is a make-up session for those who were unable to attend and for
the newly elected commissioners and sheriffs.
On Wednesday, the 15th, the morning session will cover
law enforcement risk management issues; the annual awards will be presented
during the luncheon; and the afternoon session will address road department
risk management issues. We are working with the Sheriffs and Peace Officers
Association and Montana Association of County Road Supervisors to identify
topics and speakers. Thursday
morning, the 16th, will cover
safety-related sessions. Both the JPA
and JPIA Boards of Trustees will attend to discuss issues of your choice. We will end by noon.
By holding the conference at the
MACo building and getting state-rate motel rooms, we have been able to keep
costs to a minimum. The registration fee will be $35.00, which will include the
Wednesday lunch and hand out materials.
Just think --- all of this for under
a $100.00!
JAIL TRAINING PROGRAM
During the month of October, MACo
Risk Manager Ray Barnicoat and Assistant Risk Manager Emelia McEwen presented
three-hour jail training. They presented in 10 locations through- out the state
to 140 participants representing 38 counties. The participants included
commissioners, sheriffs, jail administrators, county attorneys, JP’s and a
district judge.
The MACo Joint Powers
Insurance Authority Trustees requested the training. They recognize that
commissioners have a number of roles and responsibilities mandated to them and
that commissioners receive no training related to jail operations and
inspections.
The hope is to reduce the
liability exposure through training and provide the tools to assist
commissioners in meeting their duties. The participants thought the training
was good and they feel better equipped to do their parts in managing their
jails.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
September 22, 2002
Selections from
Meeting Minutes
Resolutions:
President Harmon moved for Board Resolution 2002-2, that fines, fees,
and forfeitures received by Courts of Limited Jurisdiction be deposited
directly with the County Treasurer.
Board representative for the Magistrates Association, Gary Olsen, asked
if there had been any input from the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. He stated this would create significant
problems in those counties where there is a satellite court outside the
courthouse. He asked for further review
to determine if there are problems.
Board member Stang stated that she could not see it working in her
county and moved to table the proposal. The motion to table was seconded and
adopted.
District
Meeting Minutes: Based
on a request from Districts 1, 2 and 3, a motion was seconded that MACo provide
secretarial service for minute-taking at each of the district meetings. Discussion included: in most counties the District Chair and the
host county are able to provide a secretary; often the recorder does not know
everyone; it is a reasonable estimate of
$100.00 per day to clerically staff district meetings. The question was called and the motion
failed.
MDOT/MACo
GPS-GIS Project Report: As of
Friday, September 20th, 28,000 miles of the estimated 48,500 had
been driven and data collected. Beaverhead
County is 95% complete with Missoula a close second at 80%. The project appears to be going well. At Midwinter Conference, there will be a
session on how to use the data.
Other Business
1. Board
endorsement of a voluntary life and AD&D products: This basic product has been before the Board
previously with no action being taken. The matter is to be referred to the new
Board for possible action at the next meeting.
2. The NACo goal for 100% membership: With 100% membership in the National Association,
we would be entitled to an additional member on the NACo Board. We would realize future savings on dues and
registration. NACo runs on a calendar
year and anyone joining now would get the benefit of membership through 2003.
No Board action was taken, but a suggestion was made to create an "adopt a
county program" for NACo involvement.
3.
Reporting of school levies for retirement and transportation: Numerous errors appear to have been reported
on the collection reports submitted to the State. This is being reviewed and may lead to adjustments in some of the
entitlement block grant payments.
OATHS OF OFFICE
All newly elected officials are to
be sworn in on the last business day of the year (Tuesday, December 31) and
take office at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1.
7-4-2105 MCA Term
of Office
(1) … A
county commissioner takes office as of 12:01 a.m. on January 1 succeeding the
date of the election at which the county commissioner was elected.
(2) A county commissioner elected to take office
shall take the oath of office on the last business day of December following
the commissioner’s election…
7-4-2203 MCA County
Offices
(1) There may be elected or appointed the
following county officers,…
(a)
one county attorney
(b)
one clerk of the district court
(c)
one county clerk
(d)
one sheriff
(e)
one treasurer
(f) one auditor, if authorized by 7-6-2401
(g)
one county superintendent of schools
(h) one county surveyor
(I)
one assessor
(j)
one coroner
(k)
one public administrator; and
(l)
at least one justice of the peace…
7-4-2209 MCA Every officer mentioned may administer and
certify oaths.
7-4-2205 MCA Term
of office — oath
(3) Each officer who is mentioned in this part
and who
is elected to office shall:
(a) take the oath of office on the
last business day of December following the election; and
(b)
take office at 12:01 a.m. on January 1...
2-16-211 Oaths
— form — before whom — when
(1) Members of the legislature and all officers,
executive, ministerial or judicial, must, before they enter upon the duties of
their respective offices, take and subscribe the following oath or
affirmation:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the
Constitution of the State of Montana, and that I will discharge the duties of
my office with fidelity (so help me God).”
(1) No other oath, declaration or test must be
required as a qualification for any office or public trust.
(2) Except when otherwise provided, the oath may
be taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths.
LEGISLATIVE
CONTACTS
LEGISLATIVE
INFORMATION
Contact numbers for the 58th
Montana Legislature are:
METNET Bulletin Board 800-803-6939
Legislative Messages 406-444-4800
FAX
House of Rep’s. 406-444-4865
http://leg.state.mt.us.css/house
Senate 406-444-4875
http://leg.state.mt.us.css/senate
MACo’s “Legislative Alert” will be
in electronic format. It will be sent
to elected officials and interested agencies by email.
STATE DROUGHT PROGRAM
In an effort to improve Montana’s
State Drought Program, the Governor’s Drought Advisory Committee seeks your
comments and suggestions on the state drought program and services. Information on the program is found at:
http://nris.state.mt.us/drought
Comments
on the program can be submitted to Jess Aber
DNRC Water Resources Division
PO Box 201601
Helena, MT 59620
jaber@state.mt.us
406-444-6628
“A committee is a
group of people appointed to do an assigned task—which they can do if the
committee consists of three people; one of whom is sick and the other is out of
town.” Abraham Lincoln
FOR SALE
AT&T Horizon
Telephone System for parts
This includes 2 operator consoles,
approximately 47 telephones, and
some
manuals.
Please make an
offer by contacting:
Valley County Commissioners
vccomm@co.valley.mt.us
406-228-6219
501 Court Square, Box 1
Glasgow, MT 59230-2405
MAGNUS MARKUSON PASSES
Magnus Markuson, 93, former
Carter County Commissioner, passed away November 6 in Ekalaka.
Markuson served Carter County
from 1970 to 1986 and was instrumental in the renovation of Camp Needmore. He assisted in the maintenance of the
facility for over 29 years. In addition
he enjoyed all sports and country music.
He was particularly interested in the news, although not always amused
with government proceedings.
He is survived by numerous family members including his son, Milton, who is currently serving as Carter County Commissioner.
BLM
RESOURCE ADVISORY COUNCILS
Montana BLM has three 5-member
resource advisory councils (RAC) for the western, central and eastern parts of
the State. Council members are area
citizens picked for their expertise on natural resource issues. The groups advise BLM on public land
issues.
The Western Montana RAC gained two
new members. The Central council gained
one new member—Francis Jacobs, former Phillips County Commissioner. One of the four new members on the Eastern
Montana RAC is Betty Aye, Powder River County Commissioner.
NEW BLM STATE DIRECTORS
BLM
Director Kathleen Clarke recently appointed five new state directors for
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming. The positions were left vacant by retirements and resignations. The appointments include three current BLM
employees, one former BLM employee and one career natural resource manager from
outside the agency.
For
Montana, Martin C. Ott moves from his position as Superintendent of the Zion
National Park. His previous career
appointments include the positions of Utah State Coordinator for the National
Park Service, Deputy Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources and
Superintendent of Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.
Mr. Ott will begin his work in Montana at the Billings BLM office in January 2003. Montana has ten field offices in Montana and one each in North Dakota and South
FAREWELL TO OUTGOING COUNTY
OFFICIALS
MACo recognizes the following elected county
officials who are ending their service in county government. We are grateful for their dedication and we
wish them great happiness.
ANACONDA-DEER LODGE BEAVERHEAD
Commissioner Paul Chirico County
Attorney Thomas Scott
Justice
of Peace Kevin Hart Sheriff Keith Reeder
BIG HORN BLAINE
Co.
Attorney Christine Cooke Commissioner
Victor Miller
J
P Lance Pederson Co.
Attorney Mark Harshman
BROADWATER CARTER
Clerk
of Court Shari K. Little Treasurer
Marjorie Justice
CARBON CASCADE
Co. Attorney Anthony Kendall Commissioner Gayle Morris
Clerk/Recorder Roger Newman J P Michael Smartt
Sheriff
Luke Schroder CHOUTEAU
Treasurer
John Michelcic Co. Attorney Allin
Cheetham
CUSTER DANIELS
Commissioner Dan Connors Clerk/Recorder
Carol Malone
Clerk/Recrdr
Beth Ann Milligan Treasurer Esther Kramer
DAWSON FALLON
Commissioner
Kathy Alley Commissioner
William Duffield
J
P Walter McKeen Clerk/Recorder
Mary Lee Dietz
Public
Admin. Rita Edwards Coroner
Jon Stevenson
FERGUS FLATHEAD
Commissioner
Joe Spika Auditor Anita Hoye
GALLATIN Commissioner Dale Williams
Auditor Joyce Schmidt Co. Attorney Thomas Esch
School
Sup’t Jill Richards Clerk/Recorder
Sue Haverfield
GARFIELD GLACIER
Clrk/Rcrdr Leslie Guesanburu Commissioner Allan Lowry
Sheriff
Charles Phipps School Sup’t. Darryl Omsberg
GOLDEN VALLEY GRANITE
Commissioner
Edgar Lewis Commissioner Scotty
Morrison
HILL Co.
Attorney Allen Bradshaw
J
P Carol Chagnon JUDITH BASIN
Auditor
Mary Ann Trumpour Commissioner Henry Vaskey
JEFFERSON Sheriff
John Shilling
Commissioner
Sam Samson Treasurer LaDene
Raihl
County
Attorney Val Wilson LAKE
School
Sup’t. Garry Pace J
P Sharon Richardson
Sheriff
Jim Quinlan
Treasurer
Susan Miller
LEWIS and CLARK LIBERTY
Commissioner Karolin Loendorf Commissioner
Loyd Boyer
School Sup’t Warren Morehouse School Sup’t Kyrstyna Cole
Sheriff Sam McCormack Treasurer
Rose Campbell
LINCOLN MADISON
J P Marlene Herreid Sheriff Lee Edmisten
McCONE MUSSELSHELL
Public
Admin. Gina Hove Commissioner
Kelly Gebhardt
Sheriff
Paula Peterson J P
Robert Mihalovich
Treasurer
Janet McCabe Sheriff George
Eppers
MISSOULA PARK
Sheriff
Doug Chase Commissioner
Dan Gutebier
Auditor
Susan Reed Public
Administrator Jim Burke
School
Sup’t. Mary Sarver
PETROLEUM PHILLIPS
J
P Lois Poulton School Sup’t. Gary Baden
PONDERA POWELL
Commissioner
Bill Rappold Commissioner Kay
Beck
POWDER RIVER RAVALLI
Commissioner
Don McDowell Commissioner Jack
Atthowe
Public
Admin. Don Heidel Sheriff
Perry Johnson
Sheriff
Ken Rogge Treasurer
Mary Kay Browning
RICHLAND STILLWATER
Clerk/Recorder
Elmina Cook Commissioner
Larry Gee
School Sup’t Richard Riedmann Co.
Attorney Robert Eddleman
ROOSEVELT Clerk/Recorder
Janet Parkins
Commissioner
Dean Harmon ROSEBUD
County
Attorney Ralph Patch Coroner
Bob Beals
TETON TREASURE
Clerk/Recorder Stella Plachetka Commissioner Char Mackley
TOOLE WIBAUX
Public Admin. Corrine Merhar Commissioner Sam Scammon
Sheriff
Vernon Anderson Clerk/Recorder
Marlene Blome
VALLEY YELLOWSTONE
Commissioner Marlene Erickson Commissioner Ziggy Ziegler
Public
Admin. Glen Meier Treasurer
Cindy Sellers
Sheriff
Richard Wessler Auditor Susan Lupo
GAMBLING MACHINE LICENSE
FEES
First Quarter of Fiscal
Year
|
COUNTY |
AMOUNT |
PERMIT NUMBER |
|
ANACONDA-DEER LODGE |
$ 30,500 |
305 |
|
BEAVERHEAD |
$ 5,800 |
58 |
|
BIG HORN |
$ 1,900 |
19 |
|
BLAINE |
$ 1,000 |
10 |
|
BROADWATER |
$ 3,900 |
39 |
|
BUTTE-SILVER BOW |
$ 109,000 |
1096 |
|
CARBON |
$ 8,600 |
86 |
|
CARTER |
$ 200 |
2 |
|
CASCADE |
$ 30,400 |
314 |
|
CHOUTEAU |
$ 1,800 |
18 |