The Butte Silver Bow Council Commissioners held a special meeting on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. to address two resolutions submitted by Clerk and Recorder Cindy Sherman that would have removed local elections from the primary ballot. Both resolutions were rescinded by Sherman prior to the meeting, leaving no action items on the agenda. The Chief Executive explained the background and then opened the floor for public comment on non-agenda items. After extensive public testimony, the meeting adjourned.
Check in. Can Commissioners please check in? I think we have everybody. I'd like to call the Butte Silver Bowl Council Commissioners special meeting for Friday, March thirteenth, twenty twenty-six to order. Clerk, could we please have a roll call? Ten present, two absent. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, not mine, because I'm sorry, Commissioner Mankins here. Commissioner O'Neill, Commissioner Walker, and yeah. Okay. Um Commissioner Thatcher, could you lead us in the prayer on the pledge? Almighty God, we implore you. Look upon us and guide us this night as we make decisions which so greatly affect our community of Beauty Silverboat. Director Thoughts, words, and deeds, so that we please you and best serve our fellow citizens. Amen. Um because the next item was supposed to be public comment on any item on the agenda, but both items have been pulled from the agenda tonight, so there's no items on tonight's agenda, and I'm going to explain that in the chief executives report. So why we're here tonight is that there was a uh resolution to take all of the local elections and remove them from the ballot that was submitted by clerk and recorder, Cindy Sherman. She has rescinded that tonight. Um the second resolution that was on there, then we pulled that back off because then the then the council members don't have to take action to try to put the the language back on the ballot as well. So I just kind of want to give you some history on that. Um clerk and recorder Sherman, she was going through what Montana saw um state law allowed her to do, but um she she was working with other clerk and recorders that said, you know, if you only have two people that are on a ballot issue, um they're gonna go forward anyhow, so there's no need for them to to have a a primary election. But as we know, and um and I want to say that nobody in this group here had any making of that decision, and and it wasn't that she did it out of ill intent, but didn't talk to us about whether we should have the primary or not. And so as it came to light on Wednesday, that's when we knew that we had to deal with the issue of are we going to have the local election or not, to let people vote just whether the the two if they're unopposed or if they have two in that election are moving forward. So it wasn't that the clerk and recorder was trying to do anything that was out of line, but I think that she didn't understand you know the necessity and what the what the public wanted to do, and I think what this body wanted to do as well. Um I think people want to go and they want to vote for their representation in local government, and I think it's important that way. And so since then we've advised the clerk and recorder of that, but um her by her putting the resolution, she wasn't doing it to try to cause controversy within the within the county. It's her first major election that she really had, and so she was getting some advice from other clerk and recorders around the state that there was no need to do that. So I wanted to let everyone know that what what happened was there, but both of the resolutions have been pulled. So we don't have any action to take on tonight's special meeting. And so when I call for this special meeting, although it says JP Gallagher, Chief Executive is calling for a special meeting in the But Council Commissioners Friday 13th at 5 p.m. for the council in the council chambers, room 312 to require the election administration to hold the local primary election. All of that is off the table. So what I will say, so we've called for the meeting, the resolutions are gone, so now what we will allow is public comment on any items not on the agenda. So if public would like to come forward and talk and just say their piece about that, we have a lot of people in here, so I am gonna ask ask to limit it to three minutes so that the public can speak to us about their feelings about what happened. That that's totally appropriate and fine. We'll allow that to happen, but the election is going to go on. The uh local elections will be on the primary election, everybody will be on the ballot. So just so you know that will happen. But if you'd like to come forward and speak on items not on the agenda because those have been pulled off, now is the time for you to do that. Just to clarify one more time, this is items not on the agenda. Perfect. Ready for Oz 2000 Roberts Avenue. Shilly Shindig is Monday night at six, right across the street. I hope to see everyone there. It's gonna be super fun. All the candidates are bringing their own chilles. It's gonna be sweet. We're gonna have so much fun. Pinatas. So uh hope to see y'all there.