[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6180623,"mediaKeyId","5117135-00ea9d65917989896691c9c1f500d0b2","parentId",5117135,"title","Commission debate centers on form of county government, taxes and the scope of review","audioSeconds",2185,"startMs",1861000,"endMs",4046000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5117135-00ea9d65917989896691c9c1f500d0b2&start=1861&end=4046","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5117135-00ea9d65917989896691c9c1f500d0b2/thumbnail_1861000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6180623/Granite-County/Montana/Commission-debate-centers-on-form-of-county-government-taxes-and-the-scope-of-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180623-33a4735efddff243d7d3a1e640324978/orig.mp4?Expires=1775818192&Signature=nagXuQSBrztsntVOwu37BnJi34xHAwbIhsJrh41S8gYurSWgJgiz92ahRm~YXrNKPNAKQJj7aOSBKNrWx7a~PedNwgkS3e-NOTAJlkLp168MKmqAKFehc2eeid1Fg1Yh5cMaBOX3SHavN7gRKevDgAd2BHNwa-Rdc3gVfy4nxYiFFrUXjcZ00p6BToERjWRqRuh4xm3jUfXIlqTFaxr-APRWrxT2IoFJUPA~33s1hvBD9WgxRrhVHJMf1ATqWCA4-RAJgPN6DBXwaOt979irKIOxzA1EqDdqD7ne~HtF-M~IIhi9s5u2GEh8z6eopppYG5r360T3VoHeDKh3pZrV1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Granite County, MT","date","2025-07-01T20:46:17Z","article","An extended portion of the Granite County Study Commission meeting focused on the county's form of government and concerns about property taxes.

One commissioner raised repeated concerns that property-tax assessment and mill-levy processes, as currently administered, create unequal outcomes and argued the county's constitutional framework and statutes merit scrutiny. That speaker said they had researched statutes, court decisions and Department of Revenue practices and urged the commission to consider whether self-governing (charter) options would offer remedies.

Other commissioners urged a stepwise approach: study the three core topics in the MSU course (type, form and plan), interview the government entities under review, and solicit broad public input through surveys and interviews before recommending changes. Several speakers emphasized that the commission's role is to investigate and recommend options to voters rather than to unilaterally change tax policy.

Commissioners reviewed the county's past local-government review history. The group recorded that previous reviews (1976, 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016) kept Granite County with its elected-county-officials form (ECOF) and that earlier reviews produced no final proposal to change the form. The commission discussed the distinction between constitutional requirements and statutory practice: members noted that the Department of Revenue currently certifies county values and provides formulas for distributing mills among funds, and that courts have recently addressed mill-levy disputes in other counties.

The commission agreed to gather public views and to include communication and public-engagement items on the February agenda. Members who raised specific inquiries about tax authority and constitutional constraints said they would continue researching statutes and case law, and the group planned to compile survey results and interview responses before drafting any recommendation.

No formal decision was made to pursue charter government or to initiate a ballot measure; members repeatedly said the commission will base recommendations on the survey and interview findings and on legal analysis.

Speakers reiterated that the commission has two years to complete the review and that the next steps are research, public outreach and compiling recommendations for voters' consideration at the appropriate time.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","January 2025 Local Gov Review","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners spent significant time discussing whether Granite County's current elected-officials form (ECOF) constrains tax policy, differing interpretations of the constitution and statutes, and how the commission will gather public opinion before making recommendations.","taxTitle","Granite County , Montana","taxId",79639,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6180628,"Commissioners discuss website, newspaper notices and surveys to reach Granite County residents",1508,88000,1596000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5117135-00ea9d65917989896691c9c1f500d0b2&start=88&end=1596","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5117135-00ea9d65917989896691c9c1f500d0b2/thumbnail_88000.jpg","/articles/6180628/Granite-County/Montana/Commissioners-discuss-website-newspaper-notices-and-surveys-to-reach-Granite-County-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180628-8d6be7fe40596eb0e17190de2be0d890/orig.mp4?Expires=1775818192&Signature=KUqWaYqHZ4j~agfHVzjNjPiTWgkVFunDrqbbSxsF4Xt5uUhXoNnNjzUP5INaFroqWNVArMQbjIl57gCCQFf8cMpUJnHjULs4CJe1uDadKVJY2TSgwVLQGMPpBS~42qIjCL7uhLO3Qu5KC159hXn7QJrEOurKVoGKBNp2wr~U3T8U3q~mghGZclQdN~xjWABJ82z0yJQoU0CN1-sPz4RzPdDt7kJD5p881rORZdCBv8X4zZGyviRUULT7lFCpkWSkOY4uRVuEyS~LxoBhGMYpL77qDBw7tUW4M4hkeoIf5KeQEauglh9CZIbYIHJ8ke4MFkg0erW5zXdt5LfOHpwP3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Granite County Study Commission discussed ways to reach residents for the local-government review, including a commission-run website, newspaper public notices and surveys.

One commissioner said they will create a WordPress site called \"Granite County local government study\" to post materials and encourage public comment; the speaker said hosting will cost about $14 a year and that MSU (Montana State University) staff had no objection to the site. That commissioner said the site is intended for public education and materials from the course the commission is using, not for making policy decisions on behalf of the commission.

The commission discussed print notices and the cost of newspaper ads. The meeting identified Julie List as the person in charge of public notices at Bullwood News (sales@bullwoodnews.com) and raised concerns about paying for legal notices if the commission's budget is limited. Sarah, the commission's designated point of contact, will receive submitted agenda items and coordinate posting. Miranda, the commissioner's assistant, was identified as the person who posts agendas for the county commissioners and can assist with getting notices up.

Commissioners agreed they want to post notices in multiple places to increase public awareness: the Granite County website, the Town of Drummond's website and readboard, the Phillipsburg store/readboard and the post offices in Drummond and Phillipsburg. The group discussed asking Phillipsburg officials for permission to post on that town's site.

The commission also discussed survey distribution options. Members said MSU staff are working on a condensed set of survey questions and that the commission will consider whether to use MSU's template to limit printing and postage costs. The commission flagged budget constraints for mailed surveys and said it will explore MSU-supported distribution and online posting options.

No formal vote was taken; members sought confirmation from MSU staff about open-meeting limits for online communications and whether individual commissioners may exchange messages about agenda items without creating an unlawful meeting. One commissioner said MSU advised that emailing to propose agenda items is not an open-meeting violation, though the group agreed to obtain written confirmation.

Next steps: the commissioner creating the website will finalize it in one to two weeks and will share the URL; Sarah will continue to be the central point for agenda submissions and Miranda will assist with county posting procedures. The commission added \"communication with the public\" and \"communication with studied government entities\" to the February agenda.","Commissioners debated creating a public website, using local newspaper notices and working with MSU to distribute surveys as part of the study commission's outreach plan.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":79,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":82,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6180632,"Granite County Study Commission adopts bylaws setting agenda deadlines, posting rules and quorum",1044,1132000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5117135-00ea9d65917989896691c9c1f500d0b2&start=88&end=1132","/articles/6180632/Granite-County/Montana/Granite-County-Study-Commission-adopts-bylaws-setting-agenda-deadlines-posting-rules-and-quorum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180632-50fc5bc4e46a9b2cb3f974fca2e36851/orig.mp4?Expires=1775818192&Signature=Ln0-p1d7u9jFvxEtLNUGR3hLz3IEp0eFz8chOuwGTl4q74vTo53dFdsMOQa9kYHL6BRvcrDCtEIhawLqE1I3~Bs8WlvT7UOnjLHHuhD5-hbMv1BiWdyO0Mgpv9bDTQqT2uAtMetp2i0VG9x2haD7o7KRukgE4QVWReRF1gbHruZDFHiSV0Lw1v0ttAjN8kht61~7~v5N4bXVKWHLoO7NFgsalarVFSHdsB3PZrP42WWgrJfbiPzUT-UdBsHanUhBTViI3iARfV~lZsPniJhKrAdMQY4IOVsuB93nuLTD-Ip~FvmRthrNAmMb9YadDqUaPbcRftP-J9J7I8paNQTzMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Granite County Study Commission on Thursday adopted a set of bylaws that define how the panel will handle agendas, public notices and votes.

The bylaws require that proposed agenda items be submitted in writing to the chairperson or the commission's designated point of contact by 12 noon on the Thursday preceding the next regular meeting, and establish the study commission's official posting locations. The commission also confirmed that a quorum consists of two of its three members and that most matters require a majority vote.

The new rules name a study-commission point of contact who will receive materials and forward them to the commission for posting. Meeting notices will be posted in multiple physical locations the commission identified, including the Granite County website, the Town of Drummond town hall/readboard, the post offices in Phillipsburg and Drummond, and a Phillipsburg store; the group also discussed posting on the Phillipsburg website where possible. Miranda was identified in the meeting as the county commissioner's assistant who handles agenda postings, while Sarah was named as the study commission's point of contact to receive and distribute materials.

Commission members said the posting process will follow Granite County's designated public-posting procedures as required by state law and the open-meetings rules the commission reviewed during training.

During the meeting the commission asked members to submit agenda items by the thirteenth of the month for the next-month packet so staff can prepare and post notices in time. The commission also clarified that minutes and agendas will be made available in PDF format to accommodate members who cannot open Microsoft Word files.

The bylaws were put to a motion, seconded, and approved by voice vote. The motion language and the individual mover/second were not recorded in the audio transcript; the chair called for the ayes and there were no recorded nays.

The commission also set a regular meeting cadence: meetings will be held monthly (the group discussed meeting every third Thursday) and will continue to follow the adopted procedures unless amended at a future meeting.

The new bylaws will be filed with the clerk and recorder as part of the commission's official records.

Less urgent items discussed along with the bylaws included administrative housekeeping such as mileage claim sheets and the timing for claim submittals and minutes production.","The Granite County Study Commission voted to adopt bylaws that set agenda submission deadlines, clarify posting locations and formalize quorum and voting rules.","actionData","errors"]

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Commission debate centers on form of county government, taxes and the scope of review

Commissioners discuss website, newspaper notices and surveys to reach Granite County residents

Granite County Study Commission adopts bylaws setting agenda deadlines, posting rules and quorum