HomeMy WebLinkAboutStatement of Interest and Qualifications_Erin SmithErin Smith
120 S Black Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
September 28, 2020
Bozeman City Clerk’s Office
Bozeman City Hall
121 N Rouse Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
To the Bozeman City Commission,
I am writing this letter to express my desire to fill the vacant seat on the Bozeman City Commission. My
name is Erin Smith and I have lived and worked in Bozeman since the summer of 2016. I came to
Bozeman to receive my master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems from Montana State University,
which I received in 2018. In those two short years I knew that Bozeman was the place I wanted to call
home. I envisioned myself buying a home and raising a family here. I applied for several jobs after
graduating, but despite my qualifications, I could not find a position that paid enough to afford living in
Bozeman while also allowing me to save up for a home. Because of this, I chose to work part-time as a
research associate at MSU, and part-time as a bartender at a local bar. This situation gave me the
financial freedom to save money, though with the consistent rise in housing costs I am still a long way
from affording a home in the city I love.
My story is not unlike most young people who live in Bozeman. Most of us work two jobs, one to further
our career and one to pay the bills. As a 29-year old working woman, I represent two populations that
often feel overlooked when it comes to decision-making processes in this city: the educated youth and
the working class. With Bozeman’s median age being 28, it is high time a young person has a seat on the
City Commission.
As City Commissioner, I will work tirelessly to transform Bozeman into the resilient, sustainable, vibrant,
and just city that I know it can be. If the current pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we must
utilize resilience thinking to prepare for economic downturn, overflow of our healthcare system, food
insecurity and more. I believe my expertise in resilience and systems level thinking will be a welcome
presence as we plan for an unpredictable future.
On the topic of unpredictable futures, one of most pressing issues to today’s youth is the looming threat
of climate change. Addressing climate change is a responsibility we must all bear, and with only 11 years
left to prevent irreversible damage, it is up to leadership everywhere to transition to a sustainable
economy via emissions reductions, waste reduction and recycling, and implementation of renewable
energy resources. With eco-tourism being a major driver of economic activity in Bozeman, it is our duty
to protect and preserve these lands for future generations via climate mitigation and adaptation
planning. I have spent six years of higher education studying sustainability and believe I have much to
contribute to the City Commission in this realm.
When I first moved to Bozeman, I was immediately drawn to the energy and enthusiasm of the young
people I met at school and work. Yet as the cost of living rises and wages remain stagnant, I have seen
that enthusiasm waiver. When I talk to people my age today, they are frustrated by how little they feel
valued here, even though it is us who make up the essential workers that keep Bozeman’s economy
thriving. Many have discussed moving elsewhere because they can no longer afford rent. As more and
more young people move to less expensive cities I wonder, who will serve the tourists that support our
economy each summer and fall? Who will make your food and drinks when you spend a night
downtown? And who will build the new homes and developments that we know we will never be able
to afford? There is no upward mobility for us here. And that is unacceptable. As Bozeman City
Commissioner, I want to create a Bozeman that is livable for everyone, not just wealthy homeowners.
Affordable housing must be addressed in order to achieve the vision of a vibrant and just Bozeman. If
selected, I will do all that I can to preserve the economic activity and wellbeing of our youth.
On a final note, the scandal resulting in former Mayor Mehl’s resignation certainly paints the Bozeman
City Commission in a negative light. As a woman who advocates for racial and gender equality as a daily
practice, creating safe spaces in the workplace is of upmost importance to me. I believe that appointing
a progressive, young woman to the City Commission will be a strategic and appropriate move to regain
the population’s trust in local government. I hope to be that young, progressive woman.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Erin Smith, MSc
Sustainable Food Systems
Montana State University
smitherinmae@gmail.com
406.581.1087