HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-01-25 Public Comment - D. Carty - Aug 5, 2025 City Commission_ Request to place Consent Item G.4 on Action Item AgendaFrom:Daniel Carty
To:Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison; Jennifer Madgic; Emma Bode; Douglas Fischer; Chuck Winn
Cc:Bozeman Public Comment; Nora Shelly
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Aug 5, 2025 City Commission: Request to place Consent Item G.4 on Action Item Agenda
Date:Friday, August 1, 2025 8:14:36 AM
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August 1, 2025; 8:15am
[Please place the following public comment in the Bozeman Water Adequacy Initiative (aka
WARD) public comment folder. Thank you.]
With re to the August 5, 2025, Bozeman City Commission meeting: I am writing to ask theBozeman City Commission to move Consent Item G.4 from the Consent Agenda to the
Action Item Agenda because, once again, the Consent Agenda is being used by the CityManager and City Commission to hide information from Bozeman residents—in this case
hiding an additional $20,000 expenditure of public money to advocate against the local,grassroots-developed Bozeman Water Adequacy Initiative (aka WARD ballot initiative).
Consent Agenda Item G.4 reads, "Ratify the Signature of the City Manager for a
Professional Services Agreement with Strategies 360 for Ballot Education CommunicationsServices" and, via an updated budget, Consent Item G.4 authorizes the City to spend a
total of $70,000 dollars of public money to pay an out-of-state consultant to help the Cityadvocate against WARD. I note that the updated budget of $70,000 is $20,000 more than
the $50,000 of anti-WARD money previously authorized by the Commission in an openpublic hearing.
If the City is going to ramp up its anti-WARD campaign to a total of $70,000, the
Commissioners should at least have the courage to state for the public record their
individual reasons for doing so—and not hide behind the facade of the Consent Agenda.
Particularly, it is important for Commissioners Douglas Fischer and Emma Bode to state
their individual positions for the public record because both are running this fall for seats on
the Commission. That said, I remind the Bozeman City Manager and Bozeman City
Commissioners that MCA 13-35-226(4) “…restricts public employees from soliciting support
or opposition for political committees, candidates, or ballot issues [my emphasis] during
work hours or at their place of employment.”
In conclusion, I reiterate my request that, for the August 5, 2025, City Commission meeting,
the Commission move Consent Item G.4 from the Consent Agenda to the Action Item
Agenda for a full public hearing and vote.
Daniel Carty
213 N. 3rd. Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
P.S. August 5, 2025, City Commission meeting agenda:
https://www.bozeman.net/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/35525/3794?
curm=8&cury=2025