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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-26 Public Comment - J. Scott - Public Comment_ Opposition to Bozeman Study Commission Proposed Charter Language on Neighborhoods and Advisory BoardsFrom:Jesse Scott To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment: Opposition to Bozeman Study Commission Proposed Charter Language on Neighborhoods and Advisory Boards Date:Wednesday, April 22, 2026 8:14:55 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 Members of the Bozeman Study Commission and City Officials, I write as a concerned Bozeman resident and taxpayer to submit my formal public comment instrong opposition to the Study Commission’s proposed charter amendments regarding the neighborhoods program and advisory boards. These proposals would eliminate the fifteen currently recognized neighborhood associations, empower the City Commission to unilaterally redraw boundaries encompassing all residents,and authorize the creation of subcommittees and ad hoc committees without public notice or member solicitation. Such measures would consolidate authority in a small body of electedofficials, stripping citizens of organic, self-governing neighborhood structures and meaningful avenues for input. In so doing, they directly undermine core constitutional principles. The United States Constitution guarantees to every state a republican form of government (Article IV, Section 4) and protects the fundamental rights of the people to peaceablyassemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (First Amendment). By replacing resident-defined neighborhood associations with City Commission-appointedentities and by substituting vague “dialogue” for enforceable mechanisms of public participation, the proposed language effectively nullifies these rights at the local level. Itreplaces representative self-government with centralized control, contrary to the foundational American commitment to dispersed power, checks and balances, and citizen sovereignty. Furthermore, the absence of genuine public engagement in the development of these changes raises serious due-process concerns under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. No broadcitizen mandate exists for the dissolution of existing neighborhoods or the diminution of advisory-board independence. The Commission’s approach therefore risks violating thebedrock requirement that government derive its just powers from the consent of the governed. I respectfully urge the Study Commission to reject these provisions in their entirety. The CityCharter should instead preserve and strengthen organic neighborhood autonomy, establish clear financial-independence standards for advisory bodies, guarantee advisory boards theright to set their own agendas, and institute a formal Neighborhood Impact Statement process that obligates a public response from the City Commission when neighborhoodrecommendations are overridden. Only through such measures can Bozeman honor the constitutional imperatives of representation, transparency, and limited government. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for the opportunity to provide public comment. Sincerely, Jesse Scott Bozeman Resident and 5th Generation Montanan Security Notice: This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the senderimmediately, delete this message from your system, and do not disclose, copy, or distribute its contents. Any unauthorized use or dissemination isprohibited.