Title 7, Title 7

Any public agency entering into an interlocal contract pursuant to this part may appropriate funds for and may sell, lease, or otherwise give or supply to the administrative board created for the purpose of performance of said contract and may provide such personnel or services t…

(1) A multijurisdictional service district may provide only those services that are authorized to be provided by local governments. (2) The services that a multijurisdictional service district may provide are: (a) recreation programs other than park and recreation programs in a c…

(1) Subject to 15-10-420, local governments organizing a multijurisdictional service district are authorized to levy property taxes in an amount not to exceed that authorized for the district in accordance with 7-11-1007 and to appropriate funds derived from other than general ta…

It is hereby declared to be the public policy of Montana to provide for the residents of the state the means of improving their local governments so that essential services can be provided more effectively and economically. The growth of urban population, the necessity to maintai…

It is the purpose of this part to provide a method whereby the residents of local areas in Montana may propose local solutions to the common problems referred to in 7-11-201 in order that proper growth and development of the state may be assured and the health and welfare of the …

As used in this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Commission" means an interlocal cooperation commission established pursuant to 7-11-204. (2) "Principal city" means the city having the largest population in the county under consideration according to the latest federal…

An interlocal cooperation commission may be established in either of two ways: (1) A joint resolution providing for the establishment of an interlocal cooperation commission may be adopted by a separate vote of a majority of the governing bodies of the county, cities, and towns h…

Only one commission may be established in a county at any one time.

All commissions shall terminate 5 years from the date of their establishment. However, a commission, upon completion of its duties, may terminate earlier by a vote (favorable to such earlier termination) of three-fourths of the members.

An interlocal cooperation commission established pursuant to this part consists of members to be selected as follows: (1) four members selected by the county commissioners; (2) four members appointed by the mayor of the principal city and confirmed by the governing body of the ci…

(1) Each member shall reside, at the time of appointment, within the county if selected by the board of county commissioners or within the city or town by which appointed. (2) A member may not be an official or employee of any unit of local government.

The members of the interlocal cooperation commission shall be appointed within 60 days after the commission is authorized.

In case of a vacancy for any cause, a new member must be appointed in the same manner as the member being replaced.

Members of a commission shall receive no compensation but shall receive actual and necessary travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.

(1) Not later than 80 days after the commission is authorized, the members of the commission shall meet and organize at a time that must be set by the board of county commissioners. (2) At the first meeting of the commission, one of the members appointed by the board of county co…

(1) All meetings of the commission shall be open to the public. (2) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. (3) Each member shall have one vote. A favorable vote by a majority of the entire commission shall be necessa…

A commission shall have the following powers and duties: (1) to contract and cooperate with other public or private agencies, as it considers necessary for the rendition and affording of such services, facilities, studies, and reports to the commission as will best assist it to c…

All money received by the commission shall be deposited with the county treasurer in the county. The county treasurer is authorized to disburse funds of the commission on its order.

The units of local government within the county under consideration and the county may appropriate funds for the necessary expenses of the commission.

(1) The commission shall prepare a comprehensive program for the furnishing of local governmental services, on both countywide and urban area bases, as it deems desirable. (2) Within 3 years after the date of its organization, the commission shall complete the preparation of its …

(1) A commission shall consider the various areas included within the county, including areas incorporated as municipalities, unincorporated areas essentially urban in nature, unincorporated areas with both urban and rural characteristics, and predominantly rural areas. (2) In th…

The commission shall: (1) determine the value and amount of all property used in performing any local governmental service and all bonded and other indebtedness of units of local government attributable to the acquisition of such property and affected by its comprehensive program…

Upon request of the presiding officer of the commission, all state agencies, all counties and other units of local government, and the officers and employees of those entities shall furnish the commission with information that may be necessary for carrying out its functions and t…

Notice of hearings shall be published as provided in 7-1-2121.

In preparing its comprehensive program for furnishing local governmental services, a commission may recommend one or more of the following courses of action: (1) performance of one or more services by any existing unit of local government; (2) consolidation of specified services …

After public hearing, the commission shall submit proposals contained in its comprehensive program for action as follows: (1) If the comprehensive plan of the commission includes the creation of or any change, alteration, consolidation, dissolution, or annexation with respect to …

(1) The purpose of this part is to provide procedures for the electors of local governments to consolidate or transfer the administrative and financial responsibility for services between or among municipalities and counties. (2) Nothing in this part is to be construed as in any …

(1) A consolidation or transfer of services between or among municipalities may be proposed by a petition of the electors or on a recommendation of an interlocal cooperation commission as provided in 7-11-230. (2) A petition or recommendation may propose to consolidate or transfe…

(1) A petition or recommendation for the consolidation or transfer of the administrative and financial responsibility for services between or among local governments may be presented to the governing bodies of the local governments affected by the consolidation or transfer. (2) A…

(1) The petitioners or the interlocal cooperation commission shall prepare a service plan governing the service or activity proposed to be transferred or consolidated. (2) The plan shall provide: (a) the nature of service or function to be consolidated or transferred; (b) the eff…

(1) Sufficient copies of the petition or recommendation of the interlocal cooperation commission proposing a service consolidation or transfer and the service plan must be made available to the public for inspection at convenient locations and at reasonable hours to provide all i…

(1) A summary of the recommendations contained in a petition or recommendation and the service plan proposing the consolidation or transfer of a service or activity must be published at least twice in a newspaper of general circulation in each local government affected by the pro…

(1) The governing bodies of each local government affected by a proposed service consolidation or transfer shall jointly call a special election on the question of service consolidation or transfer, to be held in conjunction with a regular or primary election. The county election…

(1) The question of adopting a service consolidation or transfer shall be submitted to the electors of the local governments affected by the proposal in substantially the following form: Shall the plan for (consolidation or transfer) of (insert name of service or function) servic…

The adoption of a service consolidation or transfer does not affect the validity of any bond, debt, contract, collective bargaining agreement, obligation, or cause of action accrued or established by any affected local government prior to the consolidation or transfer.

(1) Judicial review to determine the validity of the procedures used in adopting any service consolidation or transfer may be initiated by petition in district court of 10 or more registered electors of each local government affected by the consolidation or transfer brought withi…

This part may be cited as the "Business Improvement District Act".

The purpose of this part is to provide for the creation of business improvement districts having one or more of the purposes and powers provided in this part that will: (1) serve a public use; (2) promote the health, safety, prosperity, security, and general welfare of the inhabi…

As used in this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Appointing authority" means the mayor in the case of a municipality, the board of county commissioners in the case of a county, or the chief executive of a consolidated city-county government. (2) "Board" means the board…

(1) Upon receipt of a petition signed by the owners of more than 60% of the area of the property proposed in the petition to be included in a district or in the expansion of a district, a governing body shall establish a district or expand a district as provided in this part. (2)…

(1) Before creating or expanding a district, the governing body shall pass a resolution of intention to do so, designating the boundaries of the district. (2) Notice of passage of the resolution must be published as provided in 7-1-2121. A copy of the notice must be mailed to eve…

(1) Any owner of property liable to be assessed may make written protest against the extent or creation of the district to be assessed, or both. (2) The protest must be in writing and must be delivered to the governing body or its clerk, if any, not later than 5 p.m. of the last …

(1) At a regular meeting of the governing body after the expiration of the time within which protest may be made, the governing body shall proceed to hear and pass upon all protests. Its decision shall be final and conclusive. (2) The governing body may adjourn the hearing from t…

When no protests have been delivered to the governing body within 15 days after the date of the first publication of the notice of the passing of the resolution of intention, when a protest shall have been found by the governing body to be insufficient or has been overruled, or w…

(1) When the governing body of a local government adopts an ordinance creating a business improvement district, the appointing authority, with the approval of the governing body, shall appoint not less than five or more than seven owners of property within the district or their a…

(1) The appointing authority shall designate which member of the board is to be the first presiding officer. When the office of presiding officer of the board becomes vacant, the board shall elect a presiding officer from among its members. The term of office as presiding officer…