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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-28-26 Public Comment - L. Jay - Public comments on Government Study CommissionFrom:Lorre Jay To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public comments on Government Study Commission Date:Wednesday, January 28, 2026 9:50:43 AM Attachments:Lorre Jay Comments on Governance Study Commission.pdf 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. Please see the below comments (and attached) regarding the Government Study Commission. Position on items: Deputy Mayor: We should not eliminate the 2-year period which is intended to get the deputy mayor up-to-speed on how to govern by shadowing the current mayor. This enablesbetter governance and fewer mistakes. Size: we do not need a larger commission or a commission that elects positions only by wards. All citizens should be able to elect all commissioners. The size of the commission isappropriate at 5. Any larger and it becomes impossible to get things done. Any smaller and you have misrepresentation by a minority. Salary: The commissioners should be fairly compensated for the work they perform. Thecurrent compensation is not fair as most spend probably 40 hours/week on this job. This leads to a smaller group of candidates as only those who can afford to fund their livingexpenses are able to run for the office. This excludes others and is not fair to the ones who serve. The compensation should not be too high so that we do not get career politicians,but it should be fair for the hours put in. Filling Vacancies on the commission: vacancies should be filled via a special election not through hand-picking candidates by the existing commission. This position works onbehalf of the people, not the commissioners and therefore should be elected by the people they serve. Partisanship: the commissioners should remain non-partisan to promote professionalismover politics. Additional elected offices: Key roles within government should be elected (Police Chief, City Attorney). Too much power is currently vesting in the City Manager who appoints thesepositions, and it may result in people serving in these positions who curry favor with the City Manager at the expense of serving the public. Thank you, Lorre Jay Bozeman resident Name: Lorre Jay City of Residence: Bozeman, MT Governance Study Commission Please see the below comments (and attached) regarding the Government Study Commission. Position on items: Deputy Mayor: We should not eliminate the 2-year period which is intended to get the deputy mayor up-to-speed on how to govern by shadowing the current mayor. This enables better governance and fewer mistakes. Size: we do not need a larger commission or a commission that elects positions only by wards. All citizens should be able to elect all commissioners. The size of the commission is appropriate at 5. Any larger and it becomes impossible to get things done. Any smaller and you have misrepresentation by a minority. Salary: The commissioners should be fairly compensated for the work they perform. The current compensation is not fair as most spend probably 40 hours/week on this job. This leads to a smaller group of candidates as only those who can afford to fund their living expenses are able to run for the office. This excludes others and is not fair to the ones who serve. The compensation should not be too high so that we do not get career politicians, but it should be fair for the hours put in. Filling Vacancies on the commission: vacancies should be filled via a special election not through hand-picking candidates by the existing commission. This position works on behalf of the people, not the commissioners and therefore should be elected by the people they serve. Partisanship: the commissioners should remain non-partisan to promote professionalism over politics. Additional elected offices: Key roles within government should be elected (Police Chief, City Attorney). Too much power is currently vesting in the City Manager who appoints these positions, and it may result in people serving in these positions who curry favor with the City Manager at the expense of serving the public.