Village bill may yet find its way to House floor

According to Flathead County Commissioner Joe Brenneman, LC0118, better known as the "Community Self Determination Act," may yet see the light of day — possibly even the house floor — thanks to continued support from unincorporated communities like Lakeside that are anxious to have their voices heard by both lawmakers and county government.

“Nothing is for sure,” Brenneman said. “But in all likelihood, we probably are going to introduce it to at least get it out there and see if we can get a hearing.”

Brenneman planned to be in Helena again this week.

“We'll consider our options then and take it from there,” he said.

Two weeks ago, when Brenneman said LC0118 was "on life support" due to a lack of support in Helena, Brenneman returned to the Flathead to speak to the Lakeside-Somers Chamber of Commerce.

Brenneman presented a summary of the proposal, along with responses to some of the main concerns. He described its purpose as being to “provide an efficient method for communities to adopt a form of representative government without the cost of incorporation.”

Brenneman said he has found both support for the idea and encouragement to pursue it from numerous individuals, including some who surprised him.

“In talking to people, nobody says its just a poor idea and to forget about it,” he said. “They all think its an interesting idea and that it has some merit, and they think it should be pursued.”