Title 7, Title 7

(1) When there is filed in the office of the county clerk of any county of this state a plat of any village or townsite or a plat of any vineyard tracts, acreage tracts, suburban tracts, or community tracts and it is desired by the owners of the land to vacate the plat, the count…

(1) When only a portion of any village or townsite in any unincorporated village or town is sought to be vacated or excluded from the village or townsite and the portion is not less than three blocks in area and is situated at the limits or boundaries of the village or townsite, …

The action of the county commissioners prior to February 3, 1943, vacating any streets, avenues, alleys, parks, or boulevards within the corporate limits of any incorporated city or town the vacating of which at the time of the action of the county commissioners required action b…

Whenever a petition signed by freeholders owning at least two-thirds of the property fronting on any street of any unincorporated townsite in this state shall be presented to the board of county commissioners of the county in which such townsite is situated praying said board to …

The city or town council has power to make and pass all bylaws, ordinances, orders, and resolutions not repugnant to the constitution of the United States or of the state of Montana or to the provisions of this title, necessary for the government or management of the affairs of a…

(1) The mayor may: (a) communicate to the council, at the beginning of each session and more often if considered necessary, a statement of the affairs of the city or town, with recommendations that the mayor considers proper; (b) recommend to the council measures connected with t…

The council may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for improper conduct, and expel any member for the same by a two-thirds vote of the members elected.

(1) The city or town council has power to: (a) define, control, and abate all conditions: (i) that endanger health or safety; (ii) that are offensive to the senses; or (iii) that obstruct the free use of property that interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property …

The city or town council may condemn private property for any public use listed in 70-30-102. The ordinance authorizing the taking of private property for a public use is conclusive as to the necessity of the taking and must conform to and be conducted as provided in Title 70, ch…

The city or town council has power to take a census of the inhabitants of a city or town at any time.

The city or town council has power to provide for the city or town printing. The contract for city or town printing must be let annually to the lowest bidder.

(1) The mayor, any member of the council, any city or town officer, or any relative or employee of an enumerated officer may not be directly or indirectly interested in the profits of any contract entered into by the council while the officer is or was in office. (2) The governin…

The city or town council has power to fix the compensation and to prescribe the duties of all employees of the city or town, subject to the limitations mentioned in this code.

All full-time salaried city employees shall work a minimum of 40 hours per week.

The city or town council may require from an officer at any time a report in detail of the transactions in that office or any matter connected with that office.

(1) A person may not throw away lighted matches, tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, or other lighted material on a forest road, private road, city street, county road, public highway, or railroad right-of-way, except lighted materials used as safety signaling devices, in this state. (2…

(1) A majority of the members of the council constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a less number may meet and adjourn to any time stated and may compel the attendance of absent members, under such rules and penalties as the council may prescribe. (2) The ayes a…

When a special meeting of the council is called under 7-5-4102(1)(c), the mayor must state by message the object of the meeting, and the business of the meeting must be restricted to the object stated.

The council must cause a journal of the proceedings to be kept, which must be open to inspection.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), on the order of the city or town council or commission and with the written approval of the local government records destruction subcommittee provided for in 2-6-1202, a city or town officer may destroy records that have met the retention…

(1) The municipality may charge a convenience fee and may allow municipal departments to collect the convenience fee on selected electronic government services in order to provide funding for the support and furtherance of electronic government services. (2) As used in this secti…

(1) The governing body of a city or town may pay: (a) the membership fees and dues in any organization of city and town officials when the purpose of the organization is improvement of laws relating to city and town government and their better and more economical administration; …

Unless otherwise provided by law, a city officer or employee may not receive payment from any public funds for traveling expenses or other expenses of any sort for attendance at a convention, meeting, or other gathering of public officers except for attendance upon a convention, …

(1) The style of ordinances may be as follows: "Be it ordained by the council of the city of.... (or town of....)", and all ordinances may be published or posted as prescribed by the council. (2) All ordinances, bylaws, and resolutions must be passed by the council and approved b…

(1) The governing body of an incorporated city or town may adopt technical building, zoning, health, electrical, fire, and plumbing codes in whole or in part by reference. (2) The notice of intent to adopt a technical code in whole or in part by reference must be published as pro…

(1) An ordinance passed by the council of any city or town may not become effective until 30 days after its passage except: (a) general appropriation ordinances providing for the ordinary and current expenses of the city or town; and (b) emergency measures. (2) A resolution is im…

In the case of emergency measures, the emergency must be expressed in the preamble or in the body of the measure and the measure must receive a two-thirds vote of all the members elected. In emergency ordinances, the resolutions shall include only such measures as are immediately…

The mayor has power to: (1) cause the ordinances of the city or town to be executed; (2) approve all ordinances and resolutions of the council adopted by it; (3) veto any objectionable part of a resolution or ordinance and approve the other parts.

(1) In case an ordinance or resolution does not meet the mayor's approbation, the mayor has power to return the same to the next regular meeting of the council, with all objections in writing. No ordinance or resolution so vetoed by the mayor must go into effect unless the same b…

(1) Except as provided in 7-5-4209 and subsection (2) of this section, the city or town council may impose fines and penalties for the violation of any city ordinance, but a fine or penalty may not exceed $500 and imprisonment may not exceed 6 months for any one offense. (2) A lo…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), the provisions of this part govern the adoption procedures and effect of municipal ordinances and resolutions. (2) The following provisions apply to adoption procedures and effect of municipal ordinances and resolutions, notwithstanding t…

(1) A social host ordinance enacted by a municipality may not impose a fine on a person who is a landlord of the property as defined in 70-24-103 unless the landlord is a participant in the party, event, or gathering that results in a violation of a social host ordinance. (2) As …

(1) Except as provided in 7-5-4311 regarding a conflict of interest, a city or town is authorized to make any contracts necessary to carry into effect the applicable powers granted by this chapter and to provide for the manner of executing the contracts. (2) (a) All necessary con…

(1) Except as provided in 7-5-4303, 7-5-4310, or Title 18, chapter 2, part 5, a contract for the purchase of any automobile, truck, other vehicle, road machinery, other machinery, apparatus, appliances, equipment, or materials or supplies or for construction, repair, or maintenan…

(1) The provisions of 7-5-4302 as to advertisement for bids shall not apply upon the happening of any emergency caused by fire, flood, explosion, storm, earthquake, riot, insurrection, or other similar emergency, but in such case the council may proceed in any manner which, in th…

A contract may not be let pursuant to 7-5-4302 that extends over a period of 5 years or more, except contracts for solid waste management systems as defined in 75-10-103, which may not exceed 10 years, or obligations issued pursuant to 7-7-4104, without first submitting the quest…

Whenever any law of this state provides a limitation upon the amount of money that a city or town can expend upon any public work or construction project without letting such public work or construction project to contract under competitive bidding procedures, a city or town shal…

When the amount to be paid under an installment purchase contract exceeds $4,000, the council may provide for the payment of the amount in installments extending over a period of not more than 10 years if at the time of entering into the contract, there is an unexpended balance o…

Old supplies or equipment may be sold by the city or town to the highest responsible bidder after calling for bid purchasers as herein set forth for bid sellers, and such city or town may trade in supplies or old equipment on new supplies or equipment at such bid price as will re…

(1) When it becomes necessary in the prosecution of any work to make alterations or modifications of the specifications or plans of a contract, the alteration or modification may be made only by resolution of the council. The resolution is not in effect until the price to be paid…

In lieu of soliciting bids, the council may purchase at public auction any vehicle, machinery, appliances, apparatus, building, or materials and supplies for which must be paid a sum of $50,000 or less.

(1) (a) Except as provided in Title 18, chapter 2, part 5, regarding use of an alternative project delivery contract, the governing body of a city or town or other local government legislative body may not award a construction contract to a contractor if the entity has a financia…

This part does not apply to solicitation and award of an investment grade energy audit or energy performance contract pursuant to Title 90, chapter 4, part 11, or to the construction or installation of conservation measures pursuant to the energy performance contract.

(1) The council may not grant an exclusive franchise or special privilege to any person except in the manner specified in subsection (2). The powers of the council are only those expressly prescribed by law and those necessarily incident to the law. (2) An exclusive franchise for…

(1) Notice of the election must be provided in accordance with 13-1-108. The notice must state the time and place of holding the election, the character of any franchise applied for, and the valuable consideration, if there is any, to be derived by the city. (2) At the election, …

(1) The first city or town council elected under the provisions of this title must divide the city or town into wards for election and other purposes, having regard to population so as to make them as nearly equal as possible. (2) (a) Cities of the first class must be divided int…