HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-25 Public Comment - D. Campbell - Opposition to Tenant Right to Counsel OrdinanceFrom:Deanna Campbell
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Opposition to Tenant Right to Counsel Ordinance
Date:Friday, November 28, 2025 8:27:34 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Commissioners,
I am writing as a small local landlord whose experience stands in stark contrast to the out-of-state
corporate developers the City has continually favored. The proposed Tenant Right to Counsel
ordinance does not solve the root causes of Bozeman’s housing struggle. Instead, it doubles down
on the same development and policy patterns that created these conditions in the first place.
For years, the City has approved large-scale, corporate-owned housing projects while making itincreasingly difficult for small local owners to remain viable. Now the City is asking taxpayers —including homeowners, small landlords, and struggling families — to fund free, unlimited legalservices for tenants in nearly every conceivable landlord-tenant dispute
This is not an eviction-prevention initiative; it is a taxpayer-funded legal pipeline against property
owners.
This program has no clear cost estimate, no demand projection, and no long-term funding plan. Keyvariables — including the impact of the UDC, new rental construction, and upcoming property-taxchanges — make the financial burden completely unknown. Implementing a program of this scalewithout fiscal clarity is irresponsible.
Meanwhile, essential services remain underfunded. Just months ago the City claimed it needed to
levy additional mills to fill a $1.77 million general-fund shortfall, yet now there are “budget savings”
to launch this program. Those funds should go toward core services such as fire, police, and
infrastructure — services that benefit the entire community
This ordinance will raise rents, drive out small landlords, consolidate housing under corporateowners, and further erode public trust.
I respectfully urge you to vote no.
Deanna Campbell
Bozeman, Montana