HELENA – The Schweitzer administration has decided to eliminate a pair of citizen advisory councils attached to the Corrections Department, and may look at eliminating other councils to save money.
Sarah Elliott, a spokeswoman for Gov. Brian Schweitzer, says decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis on to maintain a dozen or so other councils.
Last week, the state Corrections Department sent a letter to members of the Crime Victims Advisory Council, saying it had been discontinued, along with the Corrections Advisory Council.
Elliott says cutting those two councils will save the state about $18,000 in staff support, travel costs and per diem payments over at two-year period.
State government has 167 councils whose members are appointed by the governor, including 140 mandated by law. Some are required by the federal government, leaving only 15 to 20 created by executive order of the governor.