Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-03-19
CONSOLIDATION OF
COUNTY OFFICES TO
BEFORE BOARD
Commissioners to Consider
Resolution at Special
Meeting Wednesday

-
Sheridan county commissioners will
meet in special session Wednesday OF
next week to consider a resolution
providing for consolidation of five
county offices.
The commissioners instructed Coun-
ty Attorney Vernon Hoven Tuesday to
draft such resolution and have it
ready for action at the special meeting
next week.
The action is being taken in accord
ance with a new law passed by the
last session of the Montana legislature
which provides that certain offices
may be consolidated. The Sheridan
county board, seeing in the law oppor-
tunity for effecting further reductions
in the cost of running the county gov
eminent, reached a decision to take
immediate steps to take advantage OF
its provisions.
A. j. Olson, chairman of the board,
told the Herald the offices which they
proposed to consolidate were the
county surveyor and sheriff into the
one office of sheriff. The sheriHs dep
uty would then also serve in the cap
acity of surveyor. The other %consol-
odliOll WOuld DC W tllOW ulc ulIet
offices of assessor, clerk and recorder,
and treasurer all under one head as
county clerk and recorder.
Two methods are made possible un-
der the new law for effecting the con-
solidation. The county board may, of
its own initiative, make the change
through resolution, or when petitioned
by Is per cent of the voters in any
county, the board is required to act.
In addition to the officers mentioned
above, the county superintendent OF
school, coroner and public admins
traitor, may also be grouped into one,
and further consideration is to be Civ
en- by the local board to those partic-
ular offices next week.
This law is one which was referred
to the voters of the state in the last
election. 1t was approved in Sheridan
county by a vote of 1877 to 240, or al
most four to one, consequently the
commissioners feel that they are but
carrying out the wishes of the voters
in effecting the consolidation.
Commissioners Of two other coun
ties, jefferson and Mineral, are known
to have already called hearings or
kAOROSNA NOiioO1l0dLlO4l5s dIlu IL IL It.
ported that several other counties will
also take advant.g sc Of the lazy.
Under the consolidation which is
proposed here a saving of between ST.
600 and $1,000 would be effected, ac-
cording to Niels Madsen, present clerk
and recorder. Insetad of three depu-
ties, for instance, in the offices OF
clerk and recorder, assessor and
treasurer, only one would be named
under the consolidation. Then such as
sistance would be employed by the
m officer to conduct the business as
necessity required.
Salaries of the officers into which
others had been merged would remain
the same as at present, nothing being
added for the increased responsibility
Orders for consolidation must be
adopted by the county board at least
six months before the regular election
at which county officers are selected
Changes under the new law may be
made any election year, which would
mean, if any change which were made
this year did not work to taxpayers
advantage, the plan could again be
corrected or remodeled two years
hence.
The need in Sheridan county for
further economy was pointed out by
Clerk and Recorder Madsen in COM
ing largely through the reduced val
uation from year to year. Dropping to
four and a half million last year, Mr..
Madsen said the taxable valuation this
year would probably sink to four mil
lion. IF this present lowering of tax
able valuation continues" he said
land with the increasing obligations OF
the county for social security and 9TH
er existing emergencies, the county is
certain to find itself in a position
where it will be utterly impossible to
raise sufficient funds for operating ex-
penses." 1t has been estimated by the
Montana Taxpayers association that
some counties can save as much as
$4,000 a year by taking advantage of
the new law.
Although there seemed to be some
division of opinion as to the amount
of the saving that would be effected
in this county, the commissioners were
convinced that the savings would be
sufficient to warrant the change, and
that such reductions in administrative
costs could be made without impair
ing efficiency.