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Board of County Commissioners
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Tyrel Hamilton
Commissioner, Chair (District 3)Term Expires December 31, 2024
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Steve Riveland
Commissioner, Member (District 1)Term Expires December 31, 2026
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Jeff Ruffatto
Commissioner, Member District 2Term Expires December 31, 2028
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Kisha Cornell
County Administrator
Overview
Located on the lower floor of the West Annex at 431 Quarry Road, Columbus.
County Commissioners are elected to six-year terms, on a rotating basis; with one commissioner position elected every two years. The Commissioners are responsible for exercising the County’s administrative, executive, and legislative powers as outlined in the Montana State Constitution and state statutes. This includes the appointment of department heads and members of supervisory boards and committees. The Commission supervises the administration of the County government; approves the County budget; levies taxes; issues bonds; investigates claims against the County; administers subdivision review and approval, and supervises road and bridge construction and maintenance. The Commissioners set policy for County government, represent the County, maintain County property, invest County funds, and authorize and sign all contracts obligating the County. The Commissioners are charged with the duties of managing the business and concerns of the County in the best interest of the residents and performing all acts and duties, as required by law, necessary to fully discharge the duties and responsibilities of the County government. View the Commissioner’s Frequently Asked Questions Page.
- Who is my County Commissioner, and what is a Commissioner District?
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Stillwater County is split into three geographic commissioner districts, based on population and area. Each Commissioner is elected to a six-year term. A person may not be elected as a member of a board of county commissioners unless the person has resided in the county and the district for at least 2 years immediately preceding the general election, MCA 7-4-2104(2). The Commissioners are partisan elected officials, and candidates are nominated in a primary election. All voters in the County vote in the primary and general elections to select the Commissioner who will ultimately serve.
View the District Map (PDF).
Steve Riveland is the Commissioner for District 1. Jeff Ruffatto is the District 2 Commissioner. Tyrel Hamilton is the District 3 Commissioner and currently the Presiding Officer of the Board also known as the Chair.
- What is the Board of County Commissioners Meeting schedule?
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The Commissioner’s Regular Business Agenda Meeting is each Tuesday at 9 am (unless otherwise noted). The remainder of the week is spent with individual committee assignments and constituent appointments.
- Are Board Meetings open to the public?
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All regularly scheduled Board meetings are open to the public and media, with the exception of the following: Pursuant to 2-3-203, MCA, the presiding officer of any meeting may close the meeting during the time the discussion relates to a matter of individual privacy, and then if and only if the presiding officer determines that the demands of individual privacy clearly exceed the merits of public disclosure. These meetings are not open to the public or the media.
- What is a Regular Business Agenda Meeting vs. Commission Discussion (work session)?
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Regular Business Agenda Meetings are the time the Board takes action on items published on their agenda.
Commission Discussions (work sessions) are held prior to the Board’s regular business agenda meetings where the Commissioners meet with their constituents or department heads according to the schedule above. The purpose of these meetings is to provide the Board an opportunity to conduct informal communications with each other, review documents, and identify questions they may have for staff before taking action on the agenda items in their regular business meeting. No action will be taken at these discussion sessions.
- How do you find out what’s coming up on the agenda?
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Each Thursday before 5 pm, the Regular Business Agenda is posted on the bulletin boards on the first and the second floor of the Stillwater County Courthouse. Also a posting is made on the West Annex bulletin board. The agenda may also be available online for your convenience. Printed copies can be obtained in the Clerk and Recorders Office.