Polson’s Local Government Study Review Commission will host a meeting from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the library to give an overview of the process and the work commissioners have done so far.

The forum will also include a presentation from Montana State University’s Local Government Center. Staff will discuss the framework for the voter-mandated review process, which was initiated last November when Polson voters chose to review their form of city government (as did voters in Ronan and St. Ignatius).

“We needed to have a public forum as part of timeline,” said study commission chair Larry Ashcraft. “By bringing experts over here (from Bozeman), if there’s a question these people can answer it.”

The option to study local government is a unique provision of Montana’s Constitution, afforded to voters every 10 years. It gives county and municipal voters the opportunity to study the efficacy of local government and opt to change its direction, pending the outcome of a yearlong study.

The option appeared on the ballot last November, and was supported by voters in each of Lake County’s three municipalities. An option to study county government as well was rejected by voters.

Polson has a commission-manager form of government, compared to Ronan and St. Ignatius, which each have a council-mayor form.

Polson was first to establish a study commission, comprised of Ashcraft, Pete Ridgeway, Dave Rittenhouse, Mark Hubbard, Phil Thalen, and member at large, city commissioner Jake Holley. They’ve met on the second Tuesday of each month since last January.

So far, the study commission has interviewed the Polson City Commissioners and the mayor, plus reviewed their duties, roles and responsibilities, along with those of the city manager, as described in the city charter. They’ve also interviewed department heads, former city employees, and reached out to previous study commission members, mayors and city managers. They plan to interview city manager Ed Meece and city attorney Dave Michie in the coming month.

On behalf of the study commission, the city also mailed survey postcards to 3,282 residents. The response rate was 5.5% (181 responses). Of those, Ashcraft says most were over 65 years old (53%), and 46% “did not feel that city commissioners and the city manager are operating appropriately within their roles as outlined in commission-manager form of government.”

On the other hand, respondents were split regarding whether the current form of government provides the best management for the city, with 27% saying yes, 39% saying no, and 33% unsure. Just over 40% were unaware that the Local Government Review Commission is currently reviewing the city’s form of government.

According to Ashcraft, many of the survey comments – such as “fix my streets” – fell beyond the purview of the review commission.

Ashcraft hopes that next week’s meeting can help boost residents’ awareness of the review process and increase public understanding of how local government works.

So far, his takeaway is that city commissioners have a big job and could use more training and that the city charter, established two decades ago, “really has holes in it and I think it needs be brought up to speed.”

Next Thursday’s meeting provides “a great opportunity for anyone in the public to talk about charter process,” Ashcraft says, and to learn more about how their local government works. “All we want is the best for this community.”

The review commission is tasked with compiling a report and delivering an opinion on whether the city should stay the course or change to a different form of government. Any change recommended by the commission would need to be approved by Polson voters in the general election of November 2026.