What is Town Meeting Government?
Town Meeting Government
• Government Plan: Self-governing or General Government Powers MCA 7-3-602
• Consists of an assembly of the qualified electors of a town (a town meeting an elected town chair, and an optional elected town mediator MCA 7-3-601(1)
• Form may only be adopted by an incorporated city of less than 2,000 persons and may maintain this form after population increases MCA 7-3-601(2)
• All legislative powers of the town shall vest in the town meeting. The town meeting may enact rules, resolutions, and ordinances MCA 7-3-601(3)
• Shall convene annual town meeting on the first Tuesday in March. Special town meetings may be called by the chair or by a minimum 10% qualified electors MCA 7-3-603(1)
• Only and all qualified electors may attend meetings, participate in discussion, and vote. A
• quorum is 10% of the qualified electors MCA 7-3-603(2,3)
• Election of town officials shall be by secret ballot, nonpartisan and by plurality by those qualified voters present. All other voting is by simple majority of those qualified electors present and voting MCA 7-3-603(4,5)
• An agenda of the annual and special town meeting and a list of the elective and appointive offices to be filled must be prepared by the town presiding officer and is published two weeks in
• advance. A particular item may be included to the agenda upon written petition by a minimum of
• 10% of the qualified electors MCA 7-3-604
• First agenda of the first town meeting following adoption of this form shall be conducted by the local study commission chair and shall preside over election of town officers MCA 7-3-605
• The town meeting elects a chair for not less than one (1) year and not more than two years. As chief executive officer, the chair enforces the laws, administers the affairs of the town, reports and makes recommendation at the town meetings MCA 7-3-606(1)
• The chair appoints members of all boards, and appoints and removes all employees of the town.
• Chair supervises all departments and boards MCA 7-3-606(2)
• Compensation of town chair shall be established by ordinance MCA 7-3-606 (2i,k), (3)
• Permanent committees to advise the town chair may be established by ordinance. Temporary advise committees may be established by chair MCA 7-3-607
• Structural Options (voted by qualified electors when form of government adopted) MCA7-3-611:
• Town meeting shall elect a town meeting moderator for one (1) year term or designate town
chair to preside over meeting MCA 7-3-612
• Town Chair shall or may appoint an administrative assistant answerable solely to the town
chair with powers delegated by the town chair MCA 7-3-613
• Government Plan: Self-governing or General Government Powers MCA 7-3-602
• Consists of an assembly of the qualified electors of a town (a town meeting an elected town chair, and an optional elected town mediator MCA 7-3-601(1)
• Form may only be adopted by an incorporated city of less than 2,000 persons and may maintain this form after population increases MCA 7-3-601(2)
• All legislative powers of the town shall vest in the town meeting. The town meeting may enact rules, resolutions, and ordinances MCA 7-3-601(3)
• Shall convene annual town meeting on the first Tuesday in March. Special town meetings may be called by the chair or by a minimum 10% qualified electors MCA 7-3-603(1)
• Only and all qualified electors may attend meetings, participate in discussion, and vote. A
• quorum is 10% of the qualified electors MCA 7-3-603(2,3)
• Election of town officials shall be by secret ballot, nonpartisan and by plurality by those qualified voters present. All other voting is by simple majority of those qualified electors present and voting MCA 7-3-603(4,5)
• An agenda of the annual and special town meeting and a list of the elective and appointive offices to be filled must be prepared by the town presiding officer and is published two weeks in
• advance. A particular item may be included to the agenda upon written petition by a minimum of
• 10% of the qualified electors MCA 7-3-604
• First agenda of the first town meeting following adoption of this form shall be conducted by the local study commission chair and shall preside over election of town officers MCA 7-3-605
• The town meeting elects a chair for not less than one (1) year and not more than two years. As chief executive officer, the chair enforces the laws, administers the affairs of the town, reports and makes recommendation at the town meetings MCA 7-3-606(1)
• The chair appoints members of all boards, and appoints and removes all employees of the town.
• Chair supervises all departments and boards MCA 7-3-606(2)
• Compensation of town chair shall be established by ordinance MCA 7-3-606 (2i,k), (3)
• Permanent committees to advise the town chair may be established by ordinance. Temporary advise committees may be established by chair MCA 7-3-607
• Structural Options (voted by qualified electors when form of government adopted) MCA7-3-611:
• Town meeting shall elect a town meeting moderator for one (1) year term or designate town
chair to preside over meeting MCA 7-3-612
• Town Chair shall or may appoint an administrative assistant answerable solely to the town
chair with powers delegated by the town chair MCA 7-3-613