The Bozeman City Study Commission voted unanimously to approve its final report and amended charter proposal Thursday evening, formally advancing the document toward a public ballot vote in November after months of deliberation and public input.
The commission approved the final report and authorization to submit to county elections 5-0, clearing the way for the amended charter to be printed and signed by commission members. The document, which totals 12,969 words across 35 pages, represents the culmination of the commission's review of the city's 2006 charter and proposes changes to how city commissioners are elected and how the city structures public engagement.
Charter Contents and Key Decisions
The final charter presented two main questions to voters: whether to adopt the amended charter at all, and if so, whether commissioners should live anywhere in the city or be required to reside in wards they represent. The document also included three conditional sub-options that would only take effect if voters approve wards.
The commission made last-minute refinements to language in the report during the meeting. Members debated and ultimately refined wording about the Inter-Neighborhood Council's relationship to city ethics standards, settling on language stating the council "are not bound by, but are expected to observe the city and state code of ethics." The commission also added explicit language requiring all city meetings and hearings to "be conducted in a transparent manner, publicly announced in advance and open to the public," placing this requirement in the public engagement principles section rather than with general government structures.
Commissioner Deanna Campbell indicated she may file a minority report on some aspects of the work, though she voted to approve the final document. She said she wanted to reserve that option given changes made during the meeting. The commission clarified that any minority report would need to be submitted within 30 days and would not necessarily prevent approval of the main charter.
Incidental Political Committee Formation
Immediately after approving the charter, the commission approved a motion 5-0 to form an incidental political committee consisting of all five study commissioners, with city staff member Mike Maas serving as treasurer. The committee was named "Bozeman Study Commission." City Attorney Greg Sullivan advised the formation of this committee to ensure compliance with Montana's Disclose Act when conducting ballot education activities.
Sullivan had presented detailed guidance earlier in the meeting on legal restrictions surrounding the campaign. He explained that the commission cannot use language explicitly calling for voters to support or oppose the measure, cannot use "magic words" like "vote," "support," "oppose," "elect," or "defeat," and must track all time and expenditures related to the education campaign. Commissioners will not receive compensation, but their volunteer time must still be documented. All educational materials must include attribution to the Bozeman Study Commission.
Education and Outreach Planning
The commission spent the latter part of the meeting planning a fall education campaign with consultant Nevin Graves and staff from Dangeld, a ballot education firm. Commissioners identified numerous public events and community groups for outreach, including the Sweet Pea Slam festival, Bozeman Farmers Market, Cruisin' on Main car show, art walks, and various civic organizations.
Commissioner Carson Taylor volunteered to table at Sweet Pea Slam on Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., with Commissioner Deanna Campbell signing up for Saturday 3 to 5 p.m. Commissioner Jan Strout said she would attend the SLAM art festival and attempt to place informational materials at the city's official booth there. Becky Franks indicated she would attend the Cruisin' on Main event on August 16.
The commission approved a quarter-page palm card flyer with minor edits, including fixing a typo and adjusting language to reference "3 conditional sub-options" rather than "alongside" sub-options. A larger trifold brochure is planned for later in the campaign. Materials must be approved before an August 19 commission meeting, with the goal of having all primary educational pieces finalized by that date.
The commissioners will not directly edit shared documents to avoid creating what could be considered a public meeting under state law. Instead, they will email updates to the Dangeld consultants and city staff, who will maintain the master calendar and distribute updates to the commission.
Next Steps
The commission has a scheduled meeting on August 19 and will continue to meet through the fall campaign. The report will be printed, signed by commission members who approve it, and submitted to the county election office. The amended charter will be posted on the city's website at chartingbzn.com, which already redirects to the study commission website and will be live with updated materials by Friday.
Commissioners praised the two members—Barb Cestero and Becky Franks—who did the bulk of the document writing and formatting work. Commission Chair Carson Taylor noted the diverse viewpoints on the five-member body had strengthened the final product, and expressed hope the community would embrace the improved engagement structures outlined in the charter regardless of how voters decide on the measure itself.