HomeMy WebLinkAboutJohn MeyerJohn Meyer – November 14, 2023
Dear City Commissioners:
I am writing to be considered for the vacant City Commission position to help make Bozeman
the most sustainable town on the planet. My life experiences as a father, husband, attorney,
Executive Director of a nonprofit conservation organization, and outdoor advocate make me
well-suited to serve Bozeman.
Growing up in northwest Indiana, some of my fondest childhood memories are of catching
snapping turtles, bull frogs and crayfish in the local stream. My parents would tell me to be home
when the streetlights came on, so my best friend and I would take turns karate-kicking the post
until the light went out, and then run back into the woods to continue construction of our latest
three-story treehouse. Those woods have been replaced with pavement, fences and houses.
As the first person in my family to graduate from a four-year college, a strong blue collar work
ethic was instilled in me from a young age. My mother was the first female day laborer at
Bethlehem Steel and cut slabs of steel with a torch for many years. A union member and life-
long learner, my mother would stop at picket lines to talk with organizers, attend community and
vocational colleges, and write papers about identifying racism and sexism. Her strong sense of
justice left an indelible print on my orientation toward the world.
I moved to Missoula in 1999 and earned a degree in biology and Spanish in 2003 from the
University of Montana before working as a field biologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Montana
and Alaska. I graduated with honors from Vermont Law School in 2009 and moved to Bozeman
where I started a nonprofit law firm. Since that time, I have prevailed in many lawsuits that have
protected the people, forests, water and wildlife of Bozeman and the American West. On any
given day, I work with other attorneys, meet with community members and scientists, participate
in court proceedings, work with accountants, and write grant applications. Recently, my
nonprofit has been meeting with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding Clean
Water Act issues in the Gallatin watershed and with members of U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s staff
to talk about the intersection of public land management and my law firm’s Endangered Species
Act work. Now I would like to use my diverse skill set to serve Bozeman as a commissioner.
The secret that we call Montana is out. As more and more people seek to buy a slice of heaven,
Bozeman is facing an onslaught of challenges that will require us to do things differently — and
with a sense of urgency. From affordable housing to loss of open space and an increasingly tight
water supply, I have watched as Bozeman has struggled to grow in a sustainable manner. The
Commission has done a lot of good work to address the City’s issues and there is a lot more to
do. I am committed to ensuring my four-year old twins grow up in a town that is thoughtfully
planned and managed so that they can raise families here one day too. The Last Best Place is
quickly becoming the Once Best Place as predatory investors hoping to make a buck on the
desirability of this place force out the longtime Bozeman residents that have contributed so much
to our town. It’s a heartbreaking thing to behold.
A person should not have to be a millionaire to live in Bozeman. Anyone who is willing to work
hard should be able to succeed in Bozeman, and anywhere in the United States. My family was
blessed to secure an affordably-priced home in the Bridger View development, where a nurse
lives next to Bridger Bowl’s mountain manager, who lives next to a barista. We have a true
neighborhood that feels cohesive, regardless of a person’s socioeconomic status. I believe similar
models can and should be replicated in Bozeman and across the state.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle recently ran a story saying our town may be facing water
shortages with three years. If we want our society to survive climate change, we have to learn to
live within our means. As a practical matter, I will work to ensure the rules governing
development prevent variance-riddled developments that are widely opposed from being
approved unless we can show that our current residents will have adequate water for at least the
next 75 years. I believe that it is the Constitutional obligation of every Bozeman City
Commissioner to ensure residents have a healthful environment — that means an adequate and
sustainable drinking water supply. As a Commissioner, I will make it a priority for Bozeman to
show restraint so that we have the literal and proverbial space necessary to make good choices.
Bozeman has some of the brightest minds on the planet. Now is the time for us to plug into that
energy to create a replicable model of a truly sustainable town. As a Bozeman City
Commissioner, I will work to do just that.
John Meyer
2409 Blue Silos Way
Bozeman, MT 59771
(406) 546-0149