Whitefish proposes lengthening city's mayoral term

By LYNNETTE HINTZE

The Daily Inter Lake

Whitefish residents will be making history if they vote on Nov. 7 to switch the term for mayor from two to four years.

History books show the city generally has followed the two-year rotation since Whitefish was incorporated in 1905, although A.E. Long, the town's first mayor, served three years, from 1905 to 1908.

Early last year, the Whitefish government review study commission suggested that the City Council pursue a ballot measure to change the mayoral term to four years.

"The commission felt that two years is barely enough time for a new mayor to get a grip on all the city processes," Whitefish City Manager Gary Marks said. "They felt four years is a better length of time and gives more stability to the council. That's not to say we haven't been stable [with two-year mayors]."

Whitefish history book, "From Stump Town to Ski Town," shows that many mayors served only the requisite two years, while others were re-elected to second and third terms.

Neither the mayor nor the council currently are paid for their services, and it's been 25 years since Whitefish's elected officials earned a monthly stipend. When the city adopted the city-manager form of government in 1981, the accompanying charter stipulated that there would be no salary for the mayor or council, City Clerk Necile Lorang said.

Starting in 1911, the mayor earned $100 a year and council members were paid $3 for each meeting attended, not to exceed two meetings a month, according to information longtime Whitefish Pilot publisher Gurney Moss gave the authors of "Stump Town to Ski Town." Since then, city records indicate regular entries for salary ordinances until the 1981 charter was adopted.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com