Local Government Study

History

The Montana Constitution grants exceptional power to its citizens by affording them the opportunity to review the government structure of all counties and municipalities once every 10 years if they so choose. The last time city residents of Bozeman elected to conduct this review was in 2004. Currently, the City of Bozeman operates as a charter form of government. This means that the city has chosen to adopt self-governing powers that allow it to exercise all power not prohibited by the state constitution, law, or city charter. The current Bozeman charter was adopted in 2006 and outlines that city operations be conducted in a commission-manager format, whereby the mayor and commissioners are elected at large and then subsequently appoint a city manager to serve as city administrator.

After 20 years, the residents of Bozeman determined that a local government study review was necessary, and in November 2024, elected five study commissioners who are tasked with reviewing the current city charter, engaging with city staff, garnering public input, and making recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of our city government. These recommendations will be placed on the 2026 ballot for residents to vote for adoption.

Residents of Gallatin County decided that the county government should also be studied and elected seven study commissioners who will be going through the same process with the county’s government structure.

Scope

The Bozeman study commission will examine the many facets of our city government structure and will critically assess the city charter. While it is not uncommon for cities of Bozeman’s size to operate under a commission-manager format, there are many opportunities to revise the city charter to make it more responsive to the needs of our community well into the future. Examples of charter changes could include:

• Prescribing the powers and duties of the city manager

• Changing at-large commission representation to ward representation

• Ward representation would divide the city into separate districts with each ward electing a commission to represent it

• Ward representation induces a more balanced representation among populations

A government study cannot:

• Remove current city staff or elected officials

• Add, change, or remove city services, policies, or ordinances

• Change the elections process

• Change fees, assessments, or taxes

GVS Goals

A successful restructuring of the city government can have many positive implications, including:

• Broadening representation by electing commissioners by wards, rather than at-large.

• Bolstering the voice of the Inter-Neighborhood Council.

• Promote fiscal responsibility by creating guardrails for spending.

The Study Commissioners