Welcome to the Gallatin Valley Sentinel!
The mission of the Gallatin Valley Sentinel is to renew a focus on transparency, integrity, and free speech by being the foremost trusted resource and platform for our community. Our aim is to inform on issues and events taking place in the valley and to lead the discussion on the topics that matter most to protecting the land, people, and values of our county. Please click here to visit The GVS Community, where you can read our weekly blog that summarizes all of the City of Bozeman’s city commission and advisory board meetings, see upcoming meetings and agendas on our calendar, join a censorship-free discussion on local issues in our public forum, and more.
Local Government Study
The Local Government Study for the City of Bozeman and Gallatin County are underway. This opportunity to review and change the power, form, and structure of local government is provided for in the Montana Constitution and only happens once every 10 years. Bozeman’s five study commissioners will be spending the next several months reviewing Bozeman’s current charter, interviewing city employees to learn what is and isn’t working for them, and, most importantly, engaging with the public. Gallatin County’s seven study commissioners will be going through a similar process on the county-level, and when both commissions have completed their studies, they will make recommendations that constituents will vote on in November 2026. While the local government study does not provide for the opportunity to change elected leaders or policy, it is our chance to think critically about both the form and plan of our local government and to put forward solutions that can change the trajectory of our county. Please click here to visit our page dedicated to the Local Government Study, where we have exclusive interviews with the study commissioners, informational tools to help the public learn more about what the study can accomplish, and ideas for what changes we think should be made.