Dschaak, Commissioners Discuss Legal Services

Wolf Point Mayor Chris Dschaak and Roosevelt County Commissioners discussed a “typo” in the proposed agreement regarding the justice of the peace office.

The agreement reads, “The city shall compensate the county for those services performed by paying the county $17,047.59 per year and $1,420.63 per month.”

Dschaak noted, and the commissioners agreed, that the agreement should read “or” instead of “and.”

The arrangement has the city paying one quarter of the salary for the judge and the clerk.

City council will have the item on its agenda on Monday, Sept. 16.

Dschaak said that city leaders might discuss legal services’ costs sometime in the future. He explained that only about 20 city cases were heard in front of the judge last year. He said that the number was about 100 cases three or four years ago.

Commissioner Gordon Oelkers commented that $1,400 doesn’t buy a government agency a whole lot.

“I’m sure we are in the same boat,” Oelkers said.

Dschaak replied, “I’m not arguing that.”

The mayor said that ordinances don’t do any good if they are not enforced and that the current system is the most logical way.

He also asked if there was a Memorandum of Understanding in place so that the county attorney’s office can handle ordinance enforcement.

Commissioner Robert Toavs said usually MOUs have a start and end date, so a new one would be required if agreed upon.

“It’s nice to have options,” Dschaak said.