Referendum vote on hold
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POLSON — In the latest twist on water rights, two of the three irrigation districts that make up the Flathead Joint Board of Control — the Mission Irrigation District and the Jocko Valley Irrigation District — asked District Judge Deborah Kim Christopher for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction.
The restraining order and injunction will halt the mailing of ballots for Referendum 2013-5. The referendum asks that any commissioners who desire to withdraw from the FJBC first conduct a referendum of the fee land irrigators they represent.
Judge Christopher signed an order of abeyance on Oct. 22 to halt the suit.
Since the Honorable C. B. McNeil retired in September, Judge Christopher has been doing double duty. The abeyance will stay the case until attorney James A. Manley is sworn in to succeed Judge McNeil. Then Manley will take the case.
Ballots for the referendum were supposed to have been mailed on Oct. 25.
