HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-22-26 Public Comment - M. Egge - Request_ name Article VIII's specific provisions in the voter materialsFrom:Mark Egge
To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission
Cc:Greg Sullivan; Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Request: name Article VIII"s specific provisions in the voter materials
Date:Tuesday, September 22, 2026 8:30:46 AM
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 Commissioners Taylor, Franks, Campbell, Cestero and Strout,
I am writing as a Bozeman resident, and as treasurer of a registered ballot issue committee
opposing adoption of the amended charter. I appreciate the work that you all put into the
proposed charter, and believe the changes you recommended are sound with the
exception of the new powers granted to the Inter-Neighborhood Council, which for meis a poison pill. I am asking for one specific thing, and I think it is something we can agree onregardless of how each of us votes on November 3.
Your Final Report contains the comparison of existing and proposed plans of government thatMCA 7-3-142(4) requires. It addresses Article VIII. It describes it this way:
"Article VIII: Public Engagement has been added with additional clarity on the form andfunction of neighborhood associations, the Inter-Neighborhood Council and city boards."
That description does not tell a voter what Article VIII actually does. Four provisions in itcreate obligations that no other city board's article creates, and none of the four appears in thatdescription, in the Key Provisions list, in the Findings list, or on any of the city's four ballotpages:
1. Section 8.04(d)(7) - the City "shall consult" the Inter-Neighborhood Council "during theformative stages of citywide planning efforts, policy initiatives, and budget discussions."
2. Section 8.04(d)(8) - the city commission and city manager "shall provide timely responsesto recommendations submitted by the Inter-Neighborhood Council, including an explanationof how such input was considered and the reasons for divergence."
3. Section 8.04(d)(2) - INC representatives "are not bound by, but are expected to observe theCity and State Code of Ethics."
4. Section 8.04(c) - the existing requirement to designate "a staff member" as liaison becomesa requirement to designate "a full-time, fully dedicated staff member."
I want to be fair about two things. Article VIII was not slipped in: it was in your adopted studyplan in July 2025, the Inter-Neighborhood Council submitted draft language in December, andit drew more public comment than any other part of the charter. And the Council itself is notnew; it has been in the charter since 2006 at Section 4.06(d), as has the staff liaison at Section4.06(e). My concern is not process and it is not that the Council exists.
My concern is that a voter who does the reasonable thing and reads your summary will learnthat the charter says something about neighborhood associations, and will not learn that their
elected commission would be obliged to answer that body in writing and explain its reasonsfor disagreeing. That is a change in how the city governs, and "additional clarity" does not
convey it.
Commissioner Campbell raised a version of this at your August 19 meeting:
"In none of the materials, the talking points or this, is it ever referred to as Article 8. And Ithink that people should be directed to where they can go in the charter and see this work."
As I write, five weeks later, the city's ballot pages still do not name Article VIII.
What I am asking for: add a plain description of these four provisions, naming Article VIII, to
the Proposed Changes page and the FAQ, in time for ballots mailing October 9. Quoting thefour provisions would be enough. I am not asking you to characterise them, or to agree with
me about them. I would rather lose this vote to an electorate that knows what is in Article VIIIthan win it because they did not.
I am happy to be told I have this wrong. If any provision above is mischaracterised, tell me
and I will correct it publicly on our own site the same day.
Sincerely,Mark Egge
Treasurer, Send It Back BozemanPO Box 923, Bozeman, MT 59771mark@eateggs.com