HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-04-26 Public Comment - M. Thurlby - Community Input to the Bozeman Local Government Study CommissionFrom:Mike Thurlby
To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission; MICHAEL THURLBY
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Community Input to the Bozeman Local Government Study Commission
Date:Wednesday, February 4, 2026 3:33:02 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.
Bozeman City Representatives,
I am writing to express my views on a number of city government procedural issues which are
currently being evaluated and discussed within our city government.
1. It has come to attention that currently sitting city commissioners appoint replacements for
a sitting commissioner who is unable or unwilling to full the entirety of their elected term.
This clearly goes against our founding fathers' vision for our democratic society. If a
commissioner does not fulfill their term, their replacement should be elected by the
community, not appointed by a very few. The only exception that might make an
appointment acceptable is if the leaving commissioner has a very short period left in their
term, months not years.
2. The city of Bozeman has continued to grow at a rapid rate. The city has reached a point
where more representation is required on our city commissioner board in order to assure
the voices of our entire community are being heard. It seems we have reached a point that
the number of sitting commissioners should be expanded from 5 members to 7 members.
It is also important that the voices and wishes of all sectors of our city are heard and have a
direct input into the decisions that affect all of us in the city. To accomplish this the city
should be sectored into 7 distinct and defined districts, with each district having a seat on
the city commission. Each district should elect their commissioner to serve as one of
seven on the city commissioners board. Hopefully, it is the desire of our city government
leaders to assure a fair and complete representation for all voices in our community.
3. Civic service is the foundation for city representatives in small and medium sized
communities across our nation. Bozeman clearly fits into this category. We should not
have mayor and commissioner positions that are full-time positions. We should not
encourage career politicians in any way to lead our relatively small community.
I respectfully request that the goal of the Local Government Study Commission is to assure
complete and fair representation is achieved within the Bozeman community and to take the
correct course of actions to assure our community is governed by the many, rather than the few.
Best Regards,
Mike Thurlby
City Resident