Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to Debbie Matejovsky’s letter to the Editor on the Feb. 3, issue of the Northern Plains Independent.
Normally I ignore bad press. However, as the Roosevelt County attorney who is currently seeking election to that position I must clarify the facts and the law in this case.
I started as Roosevelt County attorney on Feb. 1, 2021. At that time, I had no prior knowledge of the conflict of interest regarding the gravel purchases.
No formal complaint was filed with my office until October of 2021.1 also received documents, evidence and witness statements regarding the conflict of interest and gravel purchases starting in September and ending in November of 2021. Pursuant to statute, if I decide not to commence an action I must forward the matter to the Attorney General’s office within 90 days. Which is what I did.
Now, why did I decide not to commence an action against Commissioner Nygaard? Most of the applicable violations are misdemeanors. Under Montana law, misdemeanors must be charged within one year of their occurrence.
These gravel transactions date back to 2018 and 2019.
So the one year has passed. Another reason is that some Roosevelt County residents complained to me that I had a conflict of interest as I was appointed to my current position by the Roosevelt County Commissioners, including Commissioner Nygaard. Roosevelt County pays my salary and as Roosevelt County attorney I represent the Board of Commissioners on legal matters.
Under these circumstances, I had no other option than to forward the matter to the Attorney General’s Office for their review. The Attorney General’s Office will conduct their own investigation and decide whether the law was violated.
Frank A. Piocos Roosevelt County Attorney ***
Dear Editor:
Deb Matejovsky’s letter last week referenced the Montana Constitution and the Montana Codes Annotated. These are legal rules that govern the actions of citizens of Montana. Should anyone want to research these documents and have access to the internet, they can be viewed at Montana Codes Annotated 2021 and Montana Constitution, respectively.
The Montana Constitution is described as “they system or body of laws under which a state exists.” There are very specific rules allowing for advanced notice to the public for involvement in government decisions and how elected public officials act. Some that may be of interest are: Article II, Sections 8 and 9 of the Montana Constitution.
Montana Codes Annotated: MCA 7-5-2106 Control of Conflict of Interesto MCA 7-4-2113 Liability on Official or Commissionero MCA 7-5-2305 Prohibition on Division of Contracts to Circumvent Bidding Requirements.
MCA 7-4-2714 Recovery of Illegally Paid Money.
MCA 45-7-401 Official Misconduct.
Bill Juve
Dear Editor:
“Snow - A Wonderful Thing” It gave us a white Christmas. It helps farmers and ranchers. It covers the “trash” in the streets, alleys, underpass, yards and parks. It covers the vehicles on our “emergency route,” Main Street and other streets that are not running, just looking bad for Wolf Point. It covers the trash when sports teams and out-of-town fans come into Wolf Point. All the high school programs bring visitors to Wolf Point.
A Concerned Citizen, David D. Parsley Sr.
