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Council approves emergency rule change to add Communication No. 2026-128 despite opposition
Summary
Butte-Silver Bow Council voted to suspend the rules to add Communication No. 2026-128 to the March 4 agenda after debate; an initial vote recorded 9-2 and a later concurrence/place-on-file vote was recorded 10-1. Councilor Jim Fisher publicly opposed the measure citing a $95,000 expenditure.
Butte-Silver Bow — The Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners voted March 4 to suspend the rules and add Communication No. 2026-128 to the meeting agenda after a brief but pointed exchange among commissioners.
Councilor Hattie Thatcher moved to suspend the rules and add the communication; Michele Shea seconded. Jim Fisher objected on fiscal grounds, saying adding another $95,000 "to a dead horse is crazy." The transcript records an initial suspension vote of 9 yea and 2 nay (Fisher and Trudy Healy). Later in the same meeting the council voted to concur and place Communication No. 2026-128 on file; that concurrence was recorded as 10 yea and 1 nay (Fisher).
The meeting minutes do not specify the full content or intended use of the $95,000 referenced in debate; the communication was added to the record for later consideration. No formal ordinance or resolution tied to the $95,000 was adopted at the March 4 meeting.
The action prompted brief public and internal comment: commissioners asked for the item to be placed on the docket for future consideration and for staff to provide additional detail at a subsequent meeting. The council proceeded with other agenda business after the votes.
