HomeMy WebLinkAboutRoger Blank 1
Roger S. Blank
Blank Law, P.C., a Montana Professional Corp.
2201 Baxter Lane, Suite 10295
Bozeman, Montana 59718
Fax #: 406-295-1680
Cell #: 917-882-2133
RogerBlankEsq@mac.com
May 20, 2024
Bozeman City Commission
121 North Rouse Avenue
Bozeman, Montana 59715
Re: Application for vacant City Commission position
To the esteemed Members of the Bozeman City Commission:
I am uniquely qualified to serve as Bozeman City Commissioner in the seat previously
occupied by Christopher Coburn.
In the most recently completed election cycle, November 2023, I made a first-ever run for
elective office in Bozeman. With no connections, no prior name recognition, no
campaign staff and a minimal budget, I ran against an enormously popular and
respected veteran opponent. I received greater than one-fourth of all votes cast. Despite
being a relative newcomer to Bozeman's city government community, my qualification
to serve hasn't gone unnoticed by the Daily Chronicle's Editorial Board, which recently
remarked, "Blank's willingness to enter the fray of municipal politics and work to better
his chosen home is commendable. He would bring a different mindset and fresh ideas to
the commission."
My public positions are a matter of public record and known to most on the
City Commission. Professionally, I possess 26 years of top-tier experience and a solid
record of results as an attorney working in criminal justice and law enforcement. In past
positions, I served as Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County and as a Special
Prosecutor for over 40,000 uniformed member New York City Police Department,
wherein I prosecuted uniformed police officials for corruption and official misconduct. I
subsequently established a criminal defense practice through which I advocate for and
defend members of the public, including police officials wrongly accused of criminal
conduct or violations of NYPD regulations. I also operate a civil practice, where I pursue
actions for those whose constitutional rights are violated and advise medical
professionals on the administration of their practices to ensure state and federal
regulatory, including but not limited to employment law compliance. I am admitted in
state and federal courts, and before the United States Supreme Court.
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My interest and intent in pursuing elective office and in seeking appointment to the
vacant Commission seat is to preserve and protect the Bozeman that I found when I first
relocated here, a city unlike any other, in any other place. I bring a unique perspective to
a position for which some are called to serve, but not all are qualified to hold. While
some of my views will certainly align with those of other members of the Commission,
they will always align with those I serve; the citizens of Bozeman.
My positions on both the short-term and long-term issues Bozeman presently faces have
been widely reported. I believe the UDC, Bozeman's roadmap for the next decade and
beyond, is paramount and must reflect the needs and values of the people. I applaud the
Commissioners' decision to table its adoption pending expanded public engagement and
input. I also applaud the City’s public outreach through the community survey 2024. If
appointed, public outreach will comprise a core component of my service, not only where
the UDC is concerned, but for all key issues affecting Bozeman citizens.
Concerning affordable housing, I have developed a combined market-oriented
and collaborative public/private approach to resolve this controversial and complex issue.
I presented this during my prior campaign and would seek to pursue through the
Commission.
On the subject of downtown parking, I have proposed a solution, subsequently profiled in
the Daily Chronicle, that will concurrently serve the interests of our businesses, their
employees and Bozeman residents, while simultaneously generating revenue for the city
itself.
Perhaps most controversial, I disagree with the ordinance passed governing so-called
'urban campers', which resulted from a negligent and fundamentally flawed legal analysis
provided by the City Attorney to the Commission. This untenable ordinance derived from
the City Attorney’s negligence subjects Bozeman to substantial exposure, most notably in
the form of multiple civil lawsuits against the city. There is, however, a middle ground
that can address the interests of the business community litigants, the residents whose
quality of life is adversely impacted by the campers, and the urban campers themselves,
who stand to benefit from a sensible, city-sponsored solution. This issue will inevitably
be revisited and it is imperative that Bozeman voluntarily embrace an effective, lawful
approach when it does, lest a judicial solution be forced upon the city at considerable
taxpayer expense.
A critical issue that demands realistic response is water usage. Conservation is not
enough. Water capture capacity must expand in step with Bozeman's population growth.
Bozeman must face the fiscal and scientific realities associated with urban growth and
water supply. To ignore it or hold to a false belief that conservation is the answer
amounts to dereliction of duty in serving the needs of the public.
Additionally, under Montana law, the City’s Charter is up for review. Last revised in
2004, the City Charter is deficient and lags perilously behind two decades of economic
evolution, population growth and urban expansion. I support the public vote to revisit the
City’s form of governance and support a more direct and democratic form of
representation. Currently the most powerful individual with the greatest day to day
impact over the citizenry is the City Manager; an individual not answerable to or elected
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by the public. A change I would support as part of a City Charter revision would be to
eliminate the City Manager’s position and move to a directly elected chief executive
directly answerable to the electorate; and rather than the current election of at large
commissioners, commissioners elected to represent specific districts to be drawn during
the revision process.
Finally, where law enforcement is concerned, in response to population growth, Bozeman
must adapt its public safety measures relating to all categories of criminal activity,
including drug interdiction, gang development, domestic violence and sexual assault. My
extensive law enforcement experience is particularly relevant in addressing this important
issue.
The Commission has an obligation to fill its vacancy in a manner that best serves the
needs of its citizens. Bozeman cannot afford to deprive taxpayers of new ideas and
innovative solutions to problems that must be addressed, nor may it simply ignore or
dismiss more than a quarter of the voters who spoke so clearly and unequivocally in
November 2023 in casting their ballots for me. It's important to remember that
qualifications alone do not determine suitably for holding elective office. Running for
office and seeking the vote of the people is evidence that one possesses the energy, drive
and enthusiasm to do the job. My experience demonstrates I am uniquely qualified to
serve as City Commissioner. My 2023 campaign establishes I have the requisite stamina
and want to do the job. And last year’s election results are proof that greater than one-
fourth of Bozeman voters have chosen me to represent them in city government. In
selecting an individual to fill this vacancy, the Commission must respect the democratic
process. Appointing me to serve out the remainder of former Commissioner Coburn’s
term respects that process. To select someone with lesser credentials, who has expressed
no desire to run for elective office and who lacks the support of Bozeman voters would
do nothing more than disenfranchise a substantial portion of the electorate.
This will be my second application after the November 2023 election and as is said, hope
springs eternal. Even if I am not selected I look forward to working with you the
members of the City Commission in any capacity so desired for the benefit of our
Bozeman community.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Very truly yours,
____________________
Roger Blank