HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-26-26 Public Comment - E. Guthrie - Recommendations for Proposed Charter TextFrom:Eileen Guthrie
To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission
Subject:[EXTERNAL][Possible Scam Fraud]Recommendations for Proposed Charter Text
Date:Friday, June 26, 2026 2:20:50 PM
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Dear Members of the Bozeman Study Commission,
I am writing to submit public comment on three important issues
currently under consideration as part of the city charter review, and
without these changes, I believe voters will be reluctant to vote “yes”
this November on the new charter language you have proposed. I urge you
to adopt the specific language below on these three key areas: the
Compensation Board, how vacancies are filled in the role of mayor, and
who is responsible for creating potential ward boundaries. Each of these
provisions is essential to ensuring accountable, & fair governance for
all residents of Bozeman.
I. Compensation Board
How elected officials are compensated must be decided free from the
influence of the very officials whose pay is being set. I urge the
Commission to adopt the following language in the charter in Section 2.04:
“A Compensation Board shall be created that will convene annually to
assess and determine compensation for the mayor and commissioners. The
Board shall consist of five (5) members appointed by the City
Commission, each serving a term of four (4) years. Only qualified
electors whose principal residence is in the City of Bozeman shall be
eligible to serve on the Board. No elected city official, city employee,
or anyone with a direct financial interest in city contracts or city
finances may be a member of the Compensation Board. All meetings of the
Board shall be open to the public, and the Board shall provide a public
comment period before any compensation determination is finalized.”
This language establishes the structural independence necessary for a
compensation process that residents can trust. The exclusion of elected
officials, city employees, and those with financial conflicts eliminates
the most obvious avenues for self-dealing. Four-year terms provide
continuity without allowing any single commission to entrench its
preferences on the board. Crucially, open meetings and a public commentperiod ensure that Bozeman residents have a voice in the process beforeany determination is made.
II. Mayoral Succession
The charter should provide an clearly defined, step-by-step process forfilling a vacancy in the office of mayor. Residents have made it clearthat they do NOT like the appointment process for filling vacancies, andimmediately appointing someone outside of the already elected body tofill the seat of mayor in the case of a vacancy increases the public’sdistrust of this process. Please adopt the following succession languagein Section 2.06(c):
“In the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor, the vice mayor shallassume the duties of mayor for the remainder of the term. If the vicemayor is unable or unwilling to serve, the city commission shall appointone of the remaining elected commissioners to fill the role. Only if noelected commissioner is willing or able to serve shall the commissionconsider an appointment from outside the elected body.”
This approach prioritizes democratic legitimacy at every step. The vicemayor, having been chosen by Bozeman voters, is the natural andappropriate first successor. Turning next to the remaining electedcommissioners keeps the office in the hands of those the public hasalready entrusted with governance. An outside appointment becomes anoption only as a last resort, which is a sensible safeguard that shouldnonetheless remain available. This clear order of succession removesambiguity from the process.
There is a practical case for this approach as well. Because of theduties you have retained in the charter, the office of mayor is one ofthe most consequential positions in city government, and filling avacancy is not the time for on-the-job learning. A sitting commissioner,by definition, already understands the city's budget process, itsongoing initiatives, its staff, and the policy debates currently beforethe commission. Stepping into the mayor's role from that foundation is avery different proposition than placing someone entirely new in theposition with no prior exposure to how city government actuallyfunctions. Keeping succession within the elected body is not just amatter of democratic principle; it is a matter of basic competence ofBozeman governance.
III. Independent Citizens' Redistricting Advisory Board
Ward boundaries determine who represents Bozeman residents and howeffectively every neighborhood's voice is heard. When those boundariesare drawn by elected officials themselves, the risk of manipulation,intentional or not, is real and well-documented. I urge the Commissionto establish an independent Citizens' Redistricting Advisory Board withthe following charter language in Section 7.02:
“(a) Citizens’ Redistricting Advisory Board. The city commission shallestablish an independent Citizens’ Redistricting Advisory Boardconsisting of five (5) members who are qualified electors domiciled
within the city limits of Bozeman. No elected official, city employee,
or declared candidate for public office shall serve on the Board. Board
members shall be appointed by the City Commission following a publicapplication process, ensuring geographic diversity across the city.
(b) Standards and Criteria. The Board shall divide the city into [four(4) or six (6)] wards by submitting a final report to the CityCommission for adoption by ordinance. Each ward shall be compact,contiguous, and the population disparity between wards shall not exceedten percent (10%) at the time of any boundary determination. Boundariesof each ward shall be compact, contiguous, as nearly equal in populationas practicable, and shall preserve existing Neighborhood Associationboundaries to the maximum extent feasible. No ward shall be drawn forthe purpose of favoring or discriminating against any political party ofincumbent officeholder; provided, however, that no boundary alterationshall exclude an incumbent commissioner from their ward prior to theexpiration of that incumbent’s current term. Changes to the boundariesof a ward may not be made between the city commission candidate filingdate and the date of the subsequent election. Commissioners forfeittheir office if their principal residence is no longer within the wardthe commissioner represents.
(c) Timeline and Public Process. The Board shall conduct its work inpublic meetings in an open, transparent manner and shall hold a minimumof two (2) public hearings before finalizing any ward map. The Boardshall complete and file its initial recommended ward boundaries with theCity Commission for adoption by ordinance within ninety (90) days of theBoard’s creation. Ward boundaries shall be reviewed within twelve (12)months following the publication of each decennial federal censusthereafter or sooner if the citizen population disparity is found toexceed ten percent (10%). Upon adoption of the boundaries by ordinance,the ward boundaries shall become legally effective for the nextscheduled municipal election.”
This language achieves several important goals. Citizens, notpoliticians, draw the ward lines, removing the self-interest that hascorrupted redistricting processes in cities and states across thecountry. The requirement for geographic diversity in board membershipensures all parts of Bozeman have a stake in the outcome. The 10%population disparity cap and the requirement for compact, contiguouswards protect the principle of equal representation and is standardpractice. Preserving Neighborhood Association boundaries keepsestablished communities intact and offers consistent representationthroughout the neighborhood. And the requirement for at least two publichearings before any map is finalized ensures residents have a genuineopportunity to weigh in. The number of wards, four or six, isappropriately left to voters to decide in November; what matters is thatwhichever number is chosen, the process for drawing them is independent,transparent, and fair.Taken together, these three provisions would give Bozeman a charter thatreflects the democratic values its residents expect and deserve.Compensation decisions made by independent citizens, leadershiptransitions that make sense, and ward boundaries drawn fairly, inpublic, by people with no political stake in the outcome.
I respectfully urge the Commission to adopt this language in the finalcharter. Thank you for your service to our community and for the
opportunity to comment.
Sincerely, Eileen Guthrie Bozeman property owner and taxpayer