HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-26-26 Public Comment - L. Jay - Recommendations for Proposed Charter TextFrom:Lorre Jay
To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission
Subject:[EXTERNAL][Possible Scam Fraud]Recommendations for Proposed Charter Text
Date:Friday, June 26, 2026 4:30:33 PM
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Dear Members of the Bozeman Study Commission,
I am writing as a Bozeman resident 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, and democratic governance for all residents of Bozeman.
I. Compensation Board
The question of how elected officials are compensated must be answered independently, 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 comment period ensure that Bozeman residents
have a voice in the process before any determination is made.
II. Mayoral Succession
The charter should provide an unambiguous, step-by-step process for filling a vacancy in the office of mayor.
Residents have made it clear that they do not like the appointment process for filling vacancies, and immediately
appointing someone outside of the already elected body to fill the seat of mayor in the case of a vacancy compounds
the public’s distrust of this process. I urge the Commission to adopt the following succession language in Section2.06(c):
“In the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor, the vice mayor shall assume the duties of mayor for the remainderof the term. If the vice mayor is unable or unwilling to serve, the city commission shall appoint one of the remainingelected commissioners to fill the role. Only if no elected commissioner is willing or able to serve shall thecommission consider an appointment from outside the elected body.”
This approach prioritizes democratic legitimacy at every step. The vice mayor, having been chosen by Bozemanvoters, is the natural and appropriate first successor. Turning next to the remaining elected commissioners keeps theoffice in the hands of those the public has already entrusted with governance. An outside appointment becomes anoption only as a last resort, which is a sensible safeguard that should nonetheless remain available. This clear orderof succession removes ambiguity from a process that, without it, could become a source of significant civicdisruption.
There is a practical case for this approach as well. Because of the duties you have retained in the charter, the officeof mayor is one of the most consequential positions in city government, and filling a vacancy is not the time for on-the-job learning. A sitting commissioner, by definition, already understands the city's budget process, its ongoinginitiatives, its staff, and the policy debates currently before the commission. Stepping into the mayor's role from thatfoundation is a very different proposition than placing someone entirely new in the position with no prior exposureto how city government actually functions. Keeping succession within the elected body is not just a matter ofdemocratic principle; it is a matter of basic competence and continuity of governance for the residents of Bozeman.
III. Independent Citizens' Redistricting Advisory Board
Ward boundaries determine who represents Bozeman residents and how effectively every neighborhood's voice isheard. When those boundaries are drawn by elected officials themselves, the risk of manipulation, intentional or not,is real and well-documented. I urge the Commission to establish an independent Citizens' Redistricting AdvisoryBoard with the following charter language in Section 7.02:
“(a) Citizens’ Redistricting Advisory Board. The city commission shall establish an independent Citizens’Redistricting Advisory Board consisting of five (5) members who are qualified electors domiciled within the citylimits of Bozeman. No elected official, city employee, or declared candidate for public office shall serve on theBoard. Board members shall be appointed by the City Commission following a public application process, ensuringgeographic 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 reportto the City Commission for adoption by ordinance. Each ward shall be compact, contiguous, and the populationdisparity between wards shall not exceed ten percent (10%) at the time of any boundary determination. Boundariesof each ward shall be compact, contiguous, as nearly equal in population as practicable, and shall preserve existingNeighborhood Association boundaries to the maximum extent feasible. No ward shall be drawn for the purpose offavoring or discriminating against any political party of incumbent officeholder; provided, however, that noboundary alteration shall exclude an incumbent commissioner from their ward prior to the expiration of thatincumbent’s current term. Changes to the boundaries of a ward may not be made between the city commissioncandidate filing date and the date of the subsequent election. Commissioners forfeit their office if their principalresidence is no longer within the ward the commissioner represents.
(c) Timeline and Public Process. The Board shall conduct its work in public meetings in an open, transparentmanner and shall hold a minimum of two (2) public hearings before finalizing any ward map. The Board shallcomplete and file its initial recommended ward boundaries with the City Commission for adoption by ordinancewithin ninety (90) days of the Board’s creation. Ward boundaries shall be reviewed within twelve (12) monthsfollowing the publication of each decennial federal census thereafter or sooner if the population disparity is found toexceed ten percent (10%). Upon adoption of the boundaries by ordinance, the ward boundaries shall become legallyeffective for the next scheduled municipal election.”
This language achieves several important goals simultaneously. Citizens, not politicians, draw the ward lines,
removing the self-interest that has corrupted redistricting processes in cities and states across the country. The
requirement for geographic diversity in board membership ensures all parts of Bozeman have a stake in theoutcome. The 10% population disparity cap and the requirement for compact, contiguous wards protect the principleof equal representation and is standard practice. Preserving Neighborhood Association boundaries keeps establishedcommunities intact and offers consistent representation throughout the neighborhood. And the requirement for atleast two public hearings before any map is finalized ensures residents have a genuine opportunity to weigh in. Thenumber of wards, four or six, is appropriately left to voters to decide in November; what matters is that whichevernumber is chosen, the process for drawing them is independent, transparent, and fair.Taken together, these three provisions would give Bozeman a charter that reflects the democratic values its residentsexpect and deserve. Compensation decisions made by independent citizens, leadership transitions that make sense,and ward boundaries drawn fairly, in public, by people with no political stake in the outcome.
I respectfully urge the Commission to adopt this language in the final charter. Thank you for your service to ourcommunity and for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
Lorre JayBozeman Resident