City Commission meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month.  Work Sessions begin at 5:30 in the Gibson Room, and Commission meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers, 2 Park Drive South, Great Falls, MT.  The Agendas and Agenda Packets for each meeting are posted on the Meetings page the Thursday before Tuesday meetings.

WATCH MEETINGS via Live Streaming, Spectrum TV Channel 190, or recordings of past meetings posted on the Meetings page.  (Video recordings are generally uploaded to the website the day following a meeting)    

Provide public comments in writing
Mail to: City Clerk, PO Box 5021, Great Falls MT 59403
Email to:commission@greatfallsmt.net

View City Commissioner Calendar:
https://greatfallsmt.net/calendar?term_node_tid_depth=791

OUR COUNCILS

Pursuant to the Charter of the City of Great Falls, Neighborhood Councils were established by Ordinance 2727 in 1997. There are nine separate Council districts throughout Great Falls. Their purpose is to provide a means for the citizens of Great Falls to actively participate in local government through a formal organization working at the neighborhood level. The Neighborhood Councils provide advice and counsel to the City Commission on a variety of neighborhood issues.

Each Council is comprised of five resident members, elected at the City's general election. The filing period for neighborhood councils shall open the same date as the filing period for mayoral and commission candidates. Neighborhood council candidates are not subject to primary elections. Two-year elected terms, in conjunction with the City general election.

Meeting schedules can be obtained from the individual council web pages or the meeting calendar link: https://greatfallsmt.net/calendar?term_node_tid_depth=871

Members must be residents of their designated district and must be registered voters.

For Information on the Neighborhood Councils, contact the:
Neighborhood Council Liaison at 406-788-1129.

TO FIND YOUR LOCATION visit the interactive map. Enter your address into the search bar for the specific area view and click on the map to see the council number. The map is at the bottom of the “Our Councils” page. 

Serving on boards and commissions is an opportunity for citizens to become involved in the decision-making process on the various issues that the City deals with.  The City of Great Falls has over twenty boards and commissions, so there is ample opportunity to get involved.  Whether your passion is planning, recreation, health, or the arts, there is sure to be a topic of interest.

Citizen Interest Forms are available at the City Manager's Office, Civic Center, Room 201, by calling 406-455-8450; or may be downloaded from the Citizen Interest Form Page.​

Our lives are busy and it is often hard to find time to volunteer. However, there are tremendous benefits to becoming a volunteer. The right fit can help you meet new people, make a difference in your community and learn new skills. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health.

One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often what holds a community together. The City of Great Falls has a number of volunteer and service opportunities that might just be perfect for you!

Some of the many departments you can lend a hand in are Parks and Recreation, the Police Department, the Animal Shelter, Mansfield Center for the Performing Arts, Great Falls Public Library, and Board & Commissions.

If none of these opportunities spark your interest, check out United Way's Volunteer website, which features 50 non-profit agencies and volunteer opportunities throughout Cascade County.

In Great Falls, MT, the Mayor is the ceremonial head and representative of the city, presiding over commission meetings, but holds no executive or veto power; they act as a member of the City Commission, focusing on leadership, policy guidance, public representation (like with state legislators), and promoting city interests, while the professional City Manager handles most day-to-day administration and enforcement, though the Mayor performs specific statutory duties like recommending measures for public welfare and financial statements. 

City Commissioners act as the legislative body, setting policy, adopting the annual budget, levying taxes, enacting ordinances, and hiring/supervising the City Manager who runs daily operations; their job involves strategic vision, fiscal oversight (like utility rates), public safety, and ensuring city functions meet community needs, connecting residents with governance.

Elections for City government are held in the uneven years. To file for Mayor or Commissioner one must meet the minimum voting requirements as well as live within the incorporated boundaries of the city. See the City Clerk's Election Brochure for additional information. Interested candidates must file a Declaration for Nomination and Oath of Candidacy Form at the Elections Office in the Cascade County Courthouse Annex located at the corner of 2nd Avenue North and 3rd Street.  

The Transparent Election Initiative is committed to ending the influence of corporate and dark money in our politics through the groundbreaking The Montana Plan. We believe that elections should be decided by voters, not by the size of corporate checkbooks.

Our approach leverages each state's authority to define corporate powers, creating a pathway to campaign finance reform that doesn't rely on restricting speech but instead focuses on not granting political spending powers to corporations in the first place.

Every state, whether via legislators or ballot initiatives, has the authority to amend its laws to no longer grant domestic and out-of-state corporations the power to spend in the state's local, state, and federal politics.

To learn more about The Montana Plan and how you can become involved visit https://transparentelection.org/