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1 RESOLUTION 03-17949 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BILLINGS, MONTANA EXPRESSING ITS SUPPORT FOR MAINTAINING LOCAL CONTROL. WHEREAS, it is more appropriate for local communities to make decisions about their own business, health, safety, and future planning than it is for the Montana Legislature to make those decisions on behalf of local communities, and; WHEREAS, the Montana Legislature meets in regular session once every two years for 90 days while local government bodies meet on a regular basis all year long, year in and year out, to address the needs of their communities, and; WHEREAS, legislators are elected from communities in every corner of the state and individual legislators cannot possibly be expected to know all of the details of local issues in every community statewide, and; WHEREAS, legislators from Missoula do not know better than the citizens of Circle what is best for Circle and legislators from Great Falls do not know better than the citizens of Dillon what is best for Dillon, and; WHEREAS, city and town council members and county commissioners are members of their communities and are in daily contact with citizens and deal daily with the issues that affect them, and; WHEREAS, communities need to keep the authority they currently enjoy in order to put their goals into action, and need the power of local control to accomplish those goals, and; WHEREAS, it would be most disagreeable for local governments if the state legislature acted to diminish the right of local citizens to make decisions about the direction of their own community or to take away the right of local policy bodies to make local decisions, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Billings City Council opposes any legislation which takes away local legislative control from any Montana city, town, or county. Further, the Billings City Council calls on the Montana Legislature to preserve the right of local governments to maintain local control in their own communities. PASSED AND APPROVED this 27th day of January, 2003. THE CITY OF BILLINGS: ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Charles F. Tooley MAYOR ATTEST: Marita Herold, CMC CITY CLERK