Situation unclear for ballot issue
When two of three Flathead County Commissioners voted last week to halt plans for a new Agency on Aging building, a few people grumbled about a ballot issue to try to override them. But where the situation goes from here is unknown.
“I am wondering if this could be a ballot issue, but that comes a long way from now. I don’t know if that’s effective or not,” said Doug Gilbertson, a member of the Area IX Agency on Aging board. “There seems to be a difference of opinion between the commissioners and the seniors. But I don’t know what the next logical step is.”
Gilbertson said the Agency on Aging board hasn’t met to reflect on the commissioners’ decision. All he knows is that some seniors are feeling angry, frustrated and in the dark about where the issue goes from here, with county commissioners who wanted a grant application and building plans up until last week when they decided they didn’t.
“If they would make a decision one way or the other, then we’d know where we stand,” Gilbertson said. “But we have no idea because of the obfuscation coming out of the commissioners.”
That leaves the Agency on Aging in the same building that was supposed to be a temporary home more than a decade ago, and as unclear as ever about the plan going forward.
“We’ve been looking for a building for a long time,” Gilbertson said.
“The temporary structure was the red barn and it was temporary 12 years ago and it’s still temporary. It’s totally inadequate as to function and size and utility. They’ve taken care of some of the issues. They remodeled the front for some other office spaces to move people out of food storage areas. That’s going to help. They’ve gotten rid of some of the cords and cables. That was done with county labor and county money to a rental building. I personally don’t want to sink any more money into that building.”
Gilbertson noted other county departments have had building and office improvements.
“The commissioners sit in a pretty nice place,” he said, referring to the chambers on the third floor of the main courthouse that the county spent $2.7 million to renovate. “The [Earl] Bennett Building houses all kinds of nice office spaces for county employees. We’ve done a lot for other folks in the county and now it’s time to move forward with Agency on Aging.”
Gilbertson said he doesn’t think the commissioners really understand what goes on in the senior centers or how many people they provide important services for.
“All they know is somebody is biting them on the butt and they don’t like it,” he said. “Except we the people are supposed to have that right. But I think we the people are falling on deaf ears.”
A BALLOT ISSUE likely could not be a basic referendum to try to overturn the commissioners’ decision.
The County Attorney’s Office hasn’t been asked to provide a formal opinion on the issue but at this point believes the decision to scrap the block grant application is an administrative act and not subject to referendum.
Under the right of initiative and referendum in Montana law, citizens could explore a voter initiative to try to pass legislation directing the commissioners to provide an Agency on Aging facility.
They would have to write up a sample petition for the County Attorney’s Office to consider. The office is tasked with reviewing and giving formal opinions on submitted petitions.
If a petition passes legal muster and acceptable language can be crafted, they then could try to collect signatures from 15 percent of Flathead County’s registered voters — the number of signatures needed to put an issue on the ballot.
Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.