Montana Local Government Study Commissions collection, 1972-1986

This series contains materials from the city and county study commissions of Montana. The commissions sent preliminary and final drafts of their local government studies to the chairman of the state commission, James Lopach. Most of the studies were conducted in 1976, while a few were in 1974 and 1986. The commissions gave their recommendations as to whether or not the city and counties should combine the governments. The final reports were then sent to the voters to decide. The county study commission final reports do not include Daniels, Edgerton, Judith Basin, Powder River, and Stillwater counties. The series also contains the monthly newsletter, The Local Government Review Bulletin, that the Commission On Local Government wrote, and research booklets profiling previous study commissions and different Montana cities and counties that were in the transition phase of a combined government.

This series contains one folder of booklets from the Bureau of Government Research at the University of Montana. All are related to local government in Montana.

The series consists of clippings from Montana newspapers on the progress of local government studies and memos to the committee stating the approach to the local studies and outlines of major tasks. Many of the memos are from the Montana Legislative Council, which oversaw the local studies. The series also contains the 1977 Montana House Bill No. 122 calling for "the general revision of laws relating to county and municipal government; enacting a local government code; and providing an effective date."

This series contains directories of local government commissioners, state financial recommendations, and memos to various county and city officials with reports of findings and regulations. Also in the series are commission staff reports researching various aspects of state issues local governments had to take into consideration. A final report on the work of the Montana State Commission on Local Government 1974-1977 is in the series.