Nashua Is Part Of One-Third Of Montana Municipalities To Review Local Government

Over the next two years, the town of Nashua will be one of a dozen cities and counties across the state who will review their local governments as called for by voters during the Primary Election on June 4.

In a vote of 56 For and 46 Against, voters decided a study commission was necessary to study and potentially change the structure of the Town of Nashua Council, which is the town’s body of government.

Once a decade, Montana’s Constitution offers voters the chance to study and potentially change the structure of local governments. The measure appeared on primary ballots across all counties and incorporated cities or towns in the state. The City of Glasgow and Fort Peck as well as Valley County voters all voted against the review.

The vote to review the Town of Nashua’s Council doesn’t immediately alter the way the Council operates, instead it starts a process to assemble a study commission that will spend two years taking feedback, reviewing the current state of the Council, and proposing changes that will then go before voters in the 2026 election.

To start this process, citizens of Nashua can begin to file with Marie Pippin, the county election administrator, through Aug. 12, to be a study commission candidate. Then during Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, the election or appointment of the Study Commissioners will take place. These commissioners will take office the day the election is declared or certified. An ex-officio member is also appointed by the governing body, and must be a current elected official or employee of the local government.

Within 10 days after taking office, the Study Commission will meet to organize. Discussions will be held regarding when, where, how to meet, as well as developing a budget, timeline, and decide whether to cooperate with another jurisdiction.

These Study Commissioners will not start this process blind. The Montana State University Local Government Center will host trainings starting in December and they will also connect with the mayor to provide training and support.

From December through November 2026, the Commissioners, with support from MSU Local Government Center, Montana Association of Counties, Montana League of Cities and Towns, will support these commissioners with technical assistance, additional training and community engagement. The Study Commission will review the power, form and plan of government. They can either chose no changes be made or make recommendations to voters by the November 2026 election.

Nashua wasn’t the only municipal to vote to conduct this review. According to the Montana Free Press, reviews passed both in population centers and far-flung Montana towns in nearly all corners. Lodge Grass had one of the highest approval percentages with 88 percent voting in favor of the review — though just 24 votes were cast. Gallatin and Butte-Silver Bow are the largest counties by population to pass reviews

Dan Clark, director of the Local Government Center at Montana State University, told the Montana Free Press, that these results are higher than the previous vote in 2014. But historically, Montanans have shown more support for the reviews. “We weren’t sure what to expect,” Clark said. “We figured there would be more engagement in this process than the previous cycle. We did get more, but not a whole lot more.”