by Michael J. Marino
Looking ahead to a citizen-led review of the Billings City Charter, City Council Member Jennifer Owen said, “There are some questions people should be wrestling with.”
Owen explained that state law allows for some municipalities, like Billings, to adopt a charter form of government which “essentially functions as a local constitution.”
Billings’ Charter has a provision which “triggers a citizen-led government review every 10 years,” said Owen, so by February 2024, voters will be asked, “Do you want a Charter Study Commission?” If approved, people can then file to be elected to the study commission, and those elected will have about two years to look at the Charter. After that, they can recommend potential amendments to their fellow voters.
Specifically, Owen said the commission looks at “the power, the form and the plan of government.” They also assess whether the structure and powers of the city’s government as they are currently defined “still make sense for our community,” she said.
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