Is Our Local Government Structure Meeting the Needs of Our Growing Community?
The City of Bozeman has a charter form of government. A charter is a written document that outlines the structure of government and the powers of government. It’s similar to a constitution, but on a municipal scale. This charter regulates many functions of government such as how and when elections vs. appointments take place, the power of advisory boards, and how many City Commissioners we elect to represent us.
The Montana constitution requires that citizens have the opportunity to vote every 10 years on whether their current form of government is serving them well, or if they would prefer to rewrite the charter.
Since the last charter was written in 2004, Bozeman has seen unprecedented growth, and many residents question whether our current form of government is adequate to manage the challenges of this growth. Many residents don’t feel represented in our City Government. Many feel that our Historic Preservation Program isn’t able to protect our neighborhoods in the face of rampant redevelopment. After the events of this past January, with the leaked city manager video, many are questioning why so much power can be in the hands of an unelected official. These are all issues that can be addressed in a new city charter.
What does the government review process look like?
On the ballot for the June 4th election, residents will see an initiative asking them to vote FOR or AGAINST a local government study review. If a majority of the voters opt FOR a local government study review, then a Study Commission will be established.
The Study Commission will consist of 5 members to be elected on November 5th of 2024. Maybe YOU could serve as an elected member of the Study Commission!
The Study Commission, once elected, will be tasked with reviewing the effectiveness of our local government and crafting a city charter based on public input. This Study Commission will hold regular meetings, open to the public, with one City Commission Liaison.
The City of Bozeman has already dedicated $233,000 to fund this government review so it WILL NOT RAISE YOUR TAXES. The funds allocated will be used for surveys, elections, public notices, and advertising community engagement opportunities. Unused funds will go back into the general fund.
Finally, the Study Commission will make recommendations for changes to the city charter that the registered voters get to approve or deny in a 2025 or 2026 election.
For more information please check out these additional resources:
https://www.representbozeman.org
https://montana.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=95558f92-a738-463b-917e-b150015b754d
https://www.montana.edu/extension/localgov/mtvoterreview/index.html