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County attorney says House Bill 547 would clarify authority over volunteer fire budgets
Summary
County Attorney Matt Enruth told the study commission that House Bill 547 would align state law with the county charter by returning budget authority for volunteer fire departments to the county, resolving a conflict triggered by an Attorney General opinion and prior practice.
Butte‑Silver Bow County Attorney Matt Enruth addressed recent controversy over volunteer fire‑department authority and House Bill 547 during a study commission meeting, saying the proposed legislation would correct a legal mismatch between state statute and local practice.
Enruth summarized the background: an Attorney General’s opinion interpreted state law as giving volunteer fire districts independent budget authority under Title 7. That interpretation, he said, would require volunteers to levy for their own budgets rather than receive county budget allocations. “Butte‑Silver Bow,…
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