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Libby Settles with State Ethics Commissioner

Agreement comes more than two years after former commissioner accused the city council of violating state law ahead of election

By Justin Franz

The City of Libby will host a government transparency week every June for the next four years as part of a settlement with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices.

The agreement comes more than two years after former Commissioner Jonathan Motl accused the city council of violating state law in the days before the 2013 mayoral election when the city attorney filed a lawsuit against Councilman Allen Olsen alleging he was not a resident and thus could not run for mayor. A judge overruled the order stopping the election but incumbent mayor Doug Roll beat Olsen by just 13 votes. Motl believed the lawsuit and media coverage of it impacted the outcome of the election.

According to the settlement, which the city council approved unanimously earlier this month, Libby will hold a government transparency week every June from 2018 to 2021. During that week, the city will have presentations about how local government works and how residents can run for office.