Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commissions Records, 1974-1976
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commissions
- Title
- Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commissions Records
- Dates
- 1974-1976 (inclusive)19741976
- Quantity
- 8.5 linear feet, (15 boxes and 1 oversize box)
- Collection Number
- Mss 118
- Summary
- The Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commissions conducted a review of Missoula's local government in 1974-1976. The collection contains documentation of their study and their proposed revisions to city and county government, which voters rejected in 1976.
- Repository
-
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for creating this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
According to the 1972 Montana state constitution, if the citizens of the both the county and the city decree, a coalition will be formed every ten years to study the local government structure to determine if the city and county governments should be combined. In 1976 the first statewide Local Government Study Commissions were formed.
In Missoula, member of the County Local Government Study Commission were Audra Browman, Alice Campbell, Becki Deschamps, Elmer Frame, Kit Johnson, Nancy Orr, and John Toole. Members of the City Local Government Study Commission were Paul Crowley, Barbara Evans, Doug Hansen, Nancy St. John, Margot Talbot, Don Weston, and Kim Williams.
After reviewing the city and county governments, as both separate and joint commissions, the commissions together recommended that Missoula's city and county governments consolidate. Voters rejected this at the June 1, 1976 election.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains documentation of the Commissions' study and their proposed revisions to city and county government, which voters rejected in 1976. It contains minutes of their joint and separate meetings, correspondence with local and state officials and communications with other study commissions around Montana, the position papers and statements of individuals serving on the commissions, voting records, reports on the activities of committees, and the final charter and reports produced by the commissions. In 2017, 45 cassette tapes and 1 reel-to-reel audio recording that were originally identified as OH 118 were accessioned and added to this collection. The recordings contain audio of specific meetings conducted between 1974 and 1976 as well as testimony from various local government officials.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.
Preferred Citation
[Name of document or photograph number], Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commissions Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in eight series:
Series I: Minutes, 1.25 linear feet, 1974-1976
Series II: Correspondence, 0.5 linear feet, 1974-1976
Series III: Position Papers, 1 folder, 1975
Series IV: Statements, 2 folders, 1975-1976
Series V: Voting, 1 folder, 1975-1976
Series VI: Committees, 1.75 linear feet, 1974-1976
Series VII: Reports, 2.0 linear feet, 1974-1976
Series VIII: Publications, 2.0 linear feet, undated
Series IX: Audio Recordings, 1.0 linear feet, 1974-1976
Acquisition Information
Gift of Missoula County, 1977.
Processing Note
The collection was originally arranged and described after donation. In 2004, the finding aid was minimally revised and encoded.
In 2017, the audio recordings for this collection, which were originally separated, were added back into the collection.
Separated Materials
A number of books that came with the papers were separated and placed in the general, Montana, or government documents collections.
Related Materials
See also Mss 187, Coalition for Local Government Study (Missoula, Mont.) Records; Mss 561, Montana Local Government Study Commissions Collection; Mss 671, Missoula City Local Government Study Commission Records; and OH 118, forty-six recordings of meetings of the Missoula City-County Study Commission meetings, 1974-1976.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Minutes, 1974-1976Return to Top
This series contains meeting minutes from the Missoula City Local Government Study Commission and the Missoula County Local Government Study Commission for their separate and joint meetings. Most of the minutes are handwritten in steno notebooks; a portion of these are in shorthand. Other minutes are typewritten. All contain a record of the conversations and decisions of the Commissions.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | City |
January 2, 1975-March 18, 1975 |
1/2 | City |
March 25, 1975-June 3, 1975 |
1/3 | County |
January 2, 1975-April 24, 1975 |
1/4 | County |
April 22, 1975-June 5, 1975 |
1/5 | Joint |
May 29, 1975-July 31, 1975 |
1/6 | Joint |
August 7, 1975-September 4, 1975 |
1/7 | Joint |
September 24, 1975-November 20, 1975 |
1/8 | City, County, Joint |
December 2, 1975-January 22, 1976 |
1/9 | City |
January 15, 1976-January 26-1976 |
1/10 | Joint |
January 29, 1976-March 20, 1976 |
1/11 | Joint |
March 22, 1976-June 17, 1976 |
2/1 | Speakers |
June 1976 |
2/2 | Minutes |
April 1976 |
2/3 | Minutes |
January 1975 |
2/4 | Minutes |
April 16, 1975-July 8, 1975 |
2/5 | Minutes |
September 23, 1975 |
2/6 | Minutes |
July 9, 1975-November 9, 1975 |
2/7 | Minutes |
October, 1975-February 16, 1976 |
2/8 | Minutes |
February 1976 |
2/9 | County |
November 8, 1974-January 22, 1976 |
2/10 | City |
November 14, 1974-January 26, 1976 |
2/11 | Joint |
November 12, 1974-July 31, 1975 |
3/1 | Joint |
August 4, 1975-August 28, 1975 |
3/2 | Joint |
September 2, 1975-September 26, 1975 |
3/3 | Joint |
October 1, 1975-November 20, 1975 |
3/4 | Joint |
December 2, 1975-February 24, 1976 |
3/5 | Joint |
March 4, 1976-June 17, 1976 |
Series II: Correspondence, 1974-1976Return to Top
This series contains the correspondence of both the city and county commissions, issued singly and jointly. Correspondents include state legislators during the 1975 Montana Legislature, the State Commission of Local Government, and other Montana city and county commissions.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/6 | Legislative |
1975 |
3/7 | Joint |
1975-1976 |
3/8 | Correspondence |
1974-1975 |
4/1 | Conferences and
meetings |
1974-1975 |
4/2 | State Commission on Local
Government |
1975-1976 |
4/3 | Other commissions |
1975-1976 |
4/4 | Citizen comment |
1975-1976 |
Series III: Position Papers, 1975Return to Top
This series contains position papers from individual members of the Missoula County Local Government Study Commission. Issues discussed are the mixed urban and rural nature of Missoula County, confederation of city and county governments, and specific plans for any confederations thereof.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/5 | Position Papers |
Series IV: Statements, 1975-1976Return to Top
This series contains joint statements of the city and county commissions on specific issues of city and county consolidation.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/6 | Statements |
June 26, 1975-July 24, 1975 |
4/7 | Statements |
July 11, 1975-June 17, 1976 |
Series V: Voting, 1975-1976Return to Top
This series contains meeting minutes with records of how city and county commission members voted.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/8 | Voting |
Series VI: Committees, 1974-1976Return to Top
This series contains reports, correspondence, and public information materials produced by the various standing and charter committees of the city and county study commissions. The standing committees were Joint Budget, Executive, Joint Personnel, and Public Information. The last committee produced materials to inform residents of Missoula city and county on the purpose, progress, and questions facing the study commissions. The charter committees were the Committee on Legal Problems, Apportionments & Redistricting, Taxation & Service District, Public Education, and Charter Drafting. The Committee on Legal Problems materials include extensive correspondence with the State Commission on Local Government (lead attorney Mike Sehestedt) and with Missoula County Attorney Robert L. "Dusty" Deschamps III. The Charter Drafting materials, most of the series, show the process of drafting the various portions of the proposed joint city-county charter.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Subseries 1: Standing Committees |
1974-1976 | |
Box/Folder | ||
4/9 | Joint budget |
1975-1976 |
4/10 | Executive, plan |
1975-1976 |
4/11 | Executive, projects |
1975-1976 |
4/12 | Executive, reports |
1975-1976 |
4/13 | Joint personnel |
1975-1976 |
4/14 | Public information, brochure |
[1975] |
4/15 | Public information, correspondence |
1975-1976 |
5/1 | Public information, Fair booth |
1975 |
5/2 | Public information, news releases |
1975-1976 |
5/3 | Public information, projects |
1975 |
5/4 | Public information, reports |
1975 |
5/5 | Public information, speaker's bureau |
1974-1976 |
5/6 | Public information, speaker's bureau
forums |
1975-1976 |
5/7 | Public information, state newsletter |
1975-1976 |
5/8 | Public information, general |
1975-1976 |
Subseries 2: Charter Committees |
1975-1976 | |
Box/Folder | ||
5/9 | Committee on Legal Problems |
1975 |
5/10 | Committee on Legal Problems, Sehestdt |
1975 |
5/11 | Committee on Legal Problems, Deschamps |
1975-1976 |
5/12 | Apportionment & Redistricting
Committee |
1975-1976 |
5/13 | Taxation & Service Committee |
1975-1976 |
5/14 | Public Education, background papers |
1975 |
6/1 | Public Education, brochure |
1976 |
6/2 | Public Education, employee relations |
1975-1976 |
6/3 | Public Education, correspondence |
1975-1976 |
6/4 | Public Education, planning |
1975-1976 |
6/5 | Public Education, preamble |
1975-1976 |
6/6 | Public Education, reports |
1975-1976 |
6/7 | Public Education, survey |
undated |
6/8 | Public Education, flip charts |
undated |
6/9 | Public Education, news releases |
1976 |
6/10 | Public Education, workshop 1 |
1975-1976 |
6/11 | Charter Drafting Committees, composite drafting
committee |
1975 |
6/12 | Charter Drafting Committees, Legislative Drafting
Committee |
1975 |
6/13 | Charter Drafting Committees, Executive Drafting
Committee |
undated |
6/14 | Charter Drafting Committees, Administrative Structure
Drafting Committee |
1975 |
6/15 | Charter Drafting Committees, Popular Controls and
Preamble Drafting Committee |
1975 |
6/16 | Charter Drafting Committees, Transition
Committee |
1975 |
6/17 | Charter Drafting Committees, Power Drafting
Committee |
1975 |
6/18 | Charter Drafting Committees, Charter
drafts |
1975-1976 |
6/19 | Charter Drafting Committees, Charter
summaries |
1975-1976 |
6/20 | Charter Drafting Committees, Comparison Drafting
Committee |
1976 |
7/1 | Charter Drafting Committees, Chamber of Commerce
charts |
undated |
7/2 | Charter Drafting Committees, slide show
script |
1976 |
7/3 | Charter Drafting Committees, reviewer
selection |
1975-1976 |
7/4 | Charter Drafting Committees, reviewers |
1975-1976 |
7/5 | Charter Drafting Committees, Missoula City-County
Charter |
1976 |
7/6 | Charter Drafting Committees, charter
discussions |
1976 |
7/7 | Charter Drafting Committees, charter study |
1976 |
7/8 | Charter Drafting Committees, Ratification campaign
I |
1976 |
7/9 | Charter Drafting Committees, Ratification campaign
II |
1976 |
7/10 | Charter Drafting Committees, Charter writing
statements |
1975 |
Series VII: Reports, 1974-1976Return to Top
This series contains reports issued by the Commissions during and at the conclusion of their review, including draft and final versions of their report and proposed joint charter for Missoula City-County. There are also three subseries of reports produced by the city of Missoula, Missoula County, and the state of Montana that appear to have been used for research by the Commissions.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
8/1 | Tentative Report: Regarding a
Chronology of the Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commissions
from November 4, 1974 to April 8, 1975 with reference to the Final Report
Campaign Activity
Jan Konigsberg
|
1976 |
8/2 | Mini-biographies: Don Weston,
Audra Browman, Nancy Orr, Kit Johnson, Kim Williams, John Toole, Paul
Crowley |
1975 |
8/3 | Council member salary |
1975-1976 |
8/4 | Elected vs. appointed
administrator |
1975 |
8/5 | Missoula interlocal cooperation
commission |
1974 |
8/6 | Law enforcement study |
1975 |
8/7 | Law enforcement |
1975-1976 |
8/8 | Planning staff |
1975-1976 |
8/9 | Present government
synopsis |
1975-1976 |
8/10 | Present city/county
government |
1975 |
8/11 | Voter review of local government
information exchange |
1975 |
8/12 | Original signature sheets
(charter) |
1976 |
8/13 | Schaill report |
1975 |
8/14 | Summary report of Commissions'
work |
1976 |
8/15 | Standard Metropolitan Statistical
Areas |
1975 |
8/16 | City/county
statistics |
1970-1976 |
8/17 | Alan Davis economic
report |
1976 |
8/18 | City/county
questionnaire |
1975 |
9/1 | Other joint reports |
1975 |
9/2 | Tentative report
documents |
1975-1976 |
9/3 | Project final report |
1976 |
9/4 | Final report
documents |
1976 |
9/5 | Other final reports
(Montana) |
1976 |
9/6 | Final draft |
1976 |
9/7 |
Missoulian presentation of report |
1976 |
9/8 | Subjective Report
Barbara Evans
Audra Browman
|
1976 |
Subseries 1: City |
1974-1975 | |
Box/Folder | ||
9/9 | Budget |
1975 |
9/10 | General correspondence |
1974-1975 |
9/11 | Interviews |
1975 |
9/12 | Interviews |
1975 |
9/13 | City engineer |
undated |
9/14 | News releases |
1975 |
10/1 | Proposed plans |
1975 |
10/2 | Reading file |
1975 |
10/3 | City of Missoula, manual on policies and
procedures |
undated |
Subseries 2: County |
1974-1976 | |
Box/Folder | ||
10/4 | Budget |
1974-1975 |
10/5 | Reading file |
1975 |
10/6 | Hearing questionnaires |
1975 |
10/7 | Organizational research |
1975 |
10/8 | Organizational research |
1975 |
10/9 | Plan |
1975-1976 |
10/10 | Questionnaire |
1975 |
11/1 | Questionnaire |
1975-1976 |
11/2 | Time table |
1975 |
11/3 | Personnel plan |
1974-1976 |
Subseries 3: State |
1974-1976 | |
Box/Folder | ||
11/4 | State Coordinating Council |
1976 |
11/5 | Government structure |
1975 |
11/6 | Information exchange memos |
1974-1976 |
11/7 | Meetings |
1974-1976 |
11/8 | Meetings |
1974-1976 |
11/9 | General information |
undated |
11/10 | Payroll receipts |
1975-1976 |
11/11 | Personnel |
undated |
11/12 | Writ of Prohibition |
1976 |
Series VIII: Publications, undatedReturn to Top
This series contains various items collected by Commission members in the course of their research.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
12 | Publications |
undated |
13 | Publications |
undated |
Box/Folder | ||
14OS/1 | Bibliographies |
undated |
14OS/2 | Mailing lists |
undated |
14OS/3 | Petition papers |
undated |
14OS/4 | Publications |
undated |
Series IX: Audio Recordings of Study Commission Meetings, 1974-1976Return to Top
This series contains 45 audio recordings, on cassette and reel-to-reel, of meetings held by and testimony delivered to the Commission. The title of each item is the name of the primary speaker(s) on the audio. Series contains four audio recordings of other Montana city and county local government study commissions not related to Missoula.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
box-item | ||
15/OH 118-001 | Health and Welfare Departments |
January 23, 1974 |
15/OH 118-002 | Larry Haegan; Jack Hanes |
December 3, 1974; December 10, 1974 |
15/OH 118-003 | Testimony of Bernice Helm |
December 10, 1974 |
15/OH 118-004 | City Council and County Commission |
January 25, 1975 |
15/OH 118-005 | City Council |
January 25, 1975 |
15/OH 118-006 | Testimony of Mayor Brown |
February 6, 1975 |
15/OH 118-007 | Peter Koehn, Bureau of Government Research |
February 25, 1975 |
15/OH 118-008 | Johnson |
March 11, 1975 |
15/OH 118-009 | Growly, Barrett, and Walters |
March 11, 1975 |
15/OH 118-010 | Testimony of Jones and Snyder |
March 18, 1975 |
15/OH 118-011 | Testimony of Robinson and Dr. Hulla |
March 25, 1975 |
15/OH 118-012 | Testimony of Loren Lutzenhiser |
March 27, 1975 |
15/OH 118-013 | Judge Richard Volinkity |
April 1, 1975 |
15/OH 118-014 | Judge Richard Volinkity |
April 1, 1975 |
15/OH 118-015 | Alderman |
April 15, 1975 |
15/OH 118-016 | Testimony of Fred Thompson and Smith |
April 21, 1975 |
15/OH 118-017 | Tom Cronley |
April 24, 1975 |
15/OH 118-018 | Tom Payne |
February 24, 1975 |
16/OH 118-019 | Walt Hill, City Council member |
April 29, 1975 |
16/OH 118-020 | Position papers |
May 1, 1975 |
16/OH 118-021 | Position papers |
May 1, 1975 |
16/OH 118-022 | Joint meeting |
May 29, 1975 |
16/OH 118-023 | Mike Schestedt |
December 2, 1975 |
16/OH 118-024 | Minutes of a Missoula City meeting |
January 15, 1976 |
16/OH 118-025 | Minutes of a Missoula City meeting |
January 15, 1976 |
16/OH 118-026 | Police and Fire Departments |
March 4, 1976 |
16/OH 118-027 | Fire Department |
March 4, 1976 |
16/OH 118-028 | unidentified Study Commission meeting |
March 25, 1976 |
16/OH 118-029 | Jack Patterson |
May 13, 1976 |
16/OH 118-030 | Minutes |
May 24, 1976 |
16/OH 118-031 | Dooley, State Examiner |
undated |
16/OH 118-032 | Kryszak |
undated |
16/OH 118-033 | Former mayors |
undated |
16/OH 118-034 | Former mayors |
undated |
16/OH 118-035 | George Turman |
undated |
16/OH 118-036 | Alderman Huggins |
undated |
16/OH 118-037 | City Council and County Commission meeting |
undated |
16/OH 118-038 | City Council and County Commission meeting |
undated |
16/OH 118-039 | unidentified Study Commission meeting |
undated |
16/OH 118-040 | unidentified Study Commission meeting |
undated |
16/OH 118-041 | Kalispell Local Government Study Commission |
January 11, circa 1975 |
16/OH 118-042 | Kalispell Local Government Study Commission |
January 11, circa 1975 |
16/OH 118-043 | Whitefish Local Government Study Commission |
January 10, 1975 |
16/OH 118-044 | Billings Local Government Study Commission, Joe Dorham and Gary Gragham |
March 4, 1975 |
16/OH 118-045 | Missoula City and County Local Government Study Commission |
March 22, 1976 |
16/OH 118-046 | Public service announcements |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Metropolitan government--Montana
Geographical Names
- Missoula (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Missoula County (Mont.)--Politics and government
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- Missoula City Local Government Study Commission
- Missoula County Local Government Study Commission