HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-29-25 Public Comment - W. Norris - Proposed update to AHOFrom:William Norris
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Proposed update to AHO
Date:Tuesday, January 28, 2025 1:11:18 PM
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Hello,
My name is William Norris and I am a fairly new resident to Bozeman. This past July my
fiance received a promotion to move to Bozeman and we decided to give it a shot. I am anaccountant and business consultant and assumed that while housing prices were high, I would
be able to find a job paying enough to even things out. My fiancée who is a wildlife biologistdoesn’t bring in a huge salary so we were depending on mine.
Unfortunately, when I began looking for jobs I was in able to find jobs paying what I was
hoping for so I took the best offer I had. This offer was $20,000 less than what I was makingin Hernando Mississippi. While living in Mississippi we rented a beautiful 1,500 sq ft house
on a lake for 1,500 a month. Here in Bozeman we live in a 789 sq ft apartment and pay 2,300in rent and about 2,600 once you include utilities and fees.
As I see places across the Southeast like Nashville, Austin, Greenville, Charlotte, and even
Desoto County Mississippi grow, there is one noticeable theme. That theme is the influx ofyoung professionals who contribute and give back to their community. That is not something I
see in Bozeman.
We hoped to begin to lay down our roots in Bozeman when we initially moved but that is nowbecoming less and less of a reality. Even though we have a combined income of $120,000 we
have no hope of ever buying a home here. Between the overpriced housing and wages thatcannot keep up, Bozeman is the least affordable city in the have ever lived in.
This city will not see the growth you hope for if you amend the AHO. All this will do is fully
turn Bozeman into a city run by slum lords and overseas real estate developers. In this day andage people are stressed enough about affording to settle down and start a family and the acts
this city continues to take will only drive away young professionals, ultimately stalling theEconomic growth of Bozeman. Without bringing in young professionals the only people who
will stay are those working lower blue collar jobs that do not progress the economy, onlysustain it.
If you are looking to turn Bozeman into purely a low-grade tourist town that will be inhabited
by those who cannot afford to live like those in Big Sky and the surrounding results, continuewhat you are doing. If you do not want you children to live here once they are adults, continue
what you are doing. If you want to drive away those who look to help build a community thatis going to excel socially and economically, continue what you are doing.
If you want your city to grown in a meaningful way, have citizens who care about the
community, and preserve a future here for your children and others who are not multi-millionaires, please actually attempt to make housing affordable and wages that match those
housing prices.
As someone who has family and friends in the senate and house, I realize that 99% of you donot care about this letter or the future of this town. I understand you believe that if you just
build high rise apartments that the economic competition will drive prices down but I promiseyou that will not be the case.
Please, do what is right for your constituents, not yours and associates pockets.
Sincerely,
William Norris