Polson voters want to review city organization

POLSON – Polson’s Citizens for Open Government recently lost an open-meeting lawsuit against the city but their vocal attempts at highlighting the problems they see in city government might have raised interest in reviewing the current system.

For the second time in 10 years, Polson residents voted to create a Citizens Review Board to analyze the way the city’s government is organized.

Voters will select the board’s members in November and they will spend two years on the project.

“This town is not big enough to have a full-time manager,” said Citizens for Open Government affiliate, Muratt Kalinyaprak. “Many people believe it puts too much power in the hands of one person who isn’t elected.”

In 2004, Polson used the “strong mayor” form of government, but in 2006 the review board recommended the city adopt a “city manager” form of government, which the citizens of Polson complied with.

“I really enjoyed being a part of that committee, and I think we did he right thing for our community,” said former committee chair Dave Rensvold.

During the years that that committee was in action, members travelled to Bozeman to learn about the different types of city government, met multiple times and kept correspondence with other cities that have different government structures.

For the next two years, the board members will do the same thing.

The board will be made up of five people, and must apply and then be elected in November. So far, seven Polson citizens have applied, and applications are due to the elections office before Aug. 21.

“I applied to work on this study because I think our government is working well,” said applicant Karen Sargeant. “I understand the way we’re working right now and I think it’s important that the government be well represented.”

Sargeant is joined in applying by Mark Evertz, Zoerene Gembala, Rick LaPiana, Michael Lies, Wade Nash, and Gordon Zimmerman.

There are four different types of municipal government: one that runs under the leadership of an elected mayor; another under the leadership of an elected council; town hall government; or Polson’s current system, which runs under the leadership of a hired, professional city manager directed by the council. Since the system of government was changed in 2007, Polson has hired three city managers and has gone through multiple interims.

“We knew when we switched to this form of government it would be tough,” said Rensvold. “City managers are professionals and need to be paid more, and we knew that all cities that switch have to go through a few to find one who will commit to the community.” Rensvold holds, however, that the switch was the right thing for Polson.

“I was a little disappointed that we voted to study the government so soon after we had switched forms, but overall I think the study is a good opportunity and a good law,” Rensvold said. “Not every state does this, Montana is unique, and it’s really cool that we are willing to allow communities to learn more about their governments and change them if need be.”