7-3-1254. Nonpartisan nature of government. (1) No person holding an appointive office or position in the municipal government shall directly or indirectly solicit or receive or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political party or purpose whatever. No person shall orally or by letter solicit or be in any manner concerned in soliciting any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political party or purpose from any person holding an appointive office or position in the municipal government. No person shall use or promise to use his influence or official authority to secure any appointment or prospective appointment to any position in the service of the municipality as a reward or return for personal or partisan political service. No person shall take part in preparing any political assessment, subscription, or contribution with the intent that it should be sent or presented to or collected from any person in the service of the municipality, nor shall he knowingly send or present, directly or indirectly, in person or otherwise, any political assessment, subscription, or contribution to or request its payment by any person in such service.
     (2) No person in the service of the municipality shall discharge, suspend, lay off, reduce in grade, or in any manner change the official rank or compensation of any person in such service or threaten to do so for withholding or neglecting to make any contribution of money or service or any valuable thing for any political service. No person holding an appointive office or place in the municipal government shall act as an officer in a political organization or serve as a member of a committee of any such organization or circulate or seek signatures for any petition provided for by primary or election laws.
     (3) Any person who, by himself or in cooperation with one or more persons, willfully or corruptly violates any of the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not less than $50 or more than $500 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or by both such fine and imprisonment, and if he is an officer or employee of the municipality, he shall immediately forfeit his office or employment.

     History: En. Secs. 108, 109, 110, Ch. 121, L. 1923; re-en. Secs. 5520.109, 5520.110, 5520.111, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 11-3549, 11-3550, 11-3551.