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Commissioner cites lack of Secretary of State guidance on fire ballot language; three options certified
Summary
Commissioners discussed delays in guidance from the Secretary of State on ballot language for proposed fire governance options and reviewed three certified options for voters; a contingency plan and a request for County Attorney involvement were made.
Commissioner Cindy Perdue-Dolan on June 22 told the Study Commission she had been unable to obtain guidance from the Secretary of State about ballot language for fire governance options and expressed frustration about delays in responses dating back to 2025.
The Chair summarized that ballot language had been submitted to the Clerk and Recorder and that six ballot initiatives exist overall, with three fire-related options certified for voters: (1) make volunteer departments independent from the charter, (2) establish a unified fire system under Butte–Silver Bow, or (3) retain current charter language. Commissioner Perdue-Dolan said she has called the Secretary of State’s office but has not yet received answers and urged documentation of outreach and the County Attorney’s attendance at the June 29 meeting to resolve outstanding legal guidance.
Commission discussion noted concern about meeting a July 7 deadline for ballot matters and the need for contingency planning if legal guidance is not received. The Commission did not take a formal vote on changes to the fire language at this meeting; several formatting and substantive edits were deferred pending County Attorney review.
