Bozeman City Study Commission Meeting – July 15, 2026

The Bozeman City Study Commission met on July 15, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:08 p.m. at City Hall. Four commissioners were present (Carson, Jan, Deanna, Mike); Commissioner Franks was excused. Staff members Barb and Becky (absent) presented proposed edits to the tentative charter. The meeting focused on revisions to compensation board language, mayoral succession, and education and outreach plans with the consulting firm Dane Geld. A public commenter addressed the compensation board section.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda as presented unanimously (4-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Daniel Cardi, a Bozeman resident, expressed support for Commissioner Campbell’s proposed language for the compensation board, stating it “removes all potential conflicts of interest” and is straightforward.
• No other public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Compensation Board (Section 2.04): Barb presented track changes based on prior public hearing feedback. Changes included deleting the area median income (AMI) reference, removing the board’s authority to set hours per week, and clarifying that the board makes recommendations to the city commission. Commissioners debated the composition of the board: whether to include commissioners as voting or non-voting members, and whether to meet annually or biennially. Deanna Campbell proposed specific language removing commissioners from the board, while others favored including them in a non-voting ex officio capacity. The city attorney advised that non-voting members would avoid mandatory duty conflicts. After discussion, the commission adopted a motion to amend the section with several changes (see Key Outcomes).
• Mayor/Vice Mayor Succession (Section 2.06): Barb explained edits to fix a conflict where a vacancy in the mayor’s office was incorrectly subject to the same appointment process as a commission vacancy. The commission agreed to replace the phrase “for the balance of the mayor’s term” with “until the next municipal election” to ensure shorter interim terms and alignment with election cycles. A motion to adopt the edits with that change passed unanimously.
• Explanatory Text for Sub-Options (Section 2.02): Commissioners reviewed proposed clarifying language for the voter options on commission size (four or six members) and election method (at-large or by wards). Deanna Campbell offered revised text emphasizing readability and consistency with ballot language. The commission agreed the text remained confusing and asked Barb to take another pass, incorporating suggestions from the League of Women Voters and others.
• Article 7 – Elections: Barb reorganized Article 7, moving initiative, referendum, and recall to Section 7.01 and creating Section 7.03 (methods of electing commissioners under a ward system) and Section 7.04 (ward boundary process). Commissioners noted the need for clearer transitional language explaining that Section 7.03 only applies if voters choose to adopt wards. Carson expressed concern about over-prescribing ward boundaries in the charter, suggesting the commission should instead set up a neutral process by ordinance. No final decision was reached; further revisions were deferred.
• Outreach and Education Plan: Representatives from Dane Geld (Audrey Dozier, Aaron Corsi, Nevin Graves) presented a proposed budget, timeline, and branding for the public education campaign. The budget included allocations for TV, radio, print (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, MSU Exponent), direct mail (postcards from Miniman Press), social media, and in-person events (Sweet Pea Festival, farmers market, etc.). The timeline targets early August for print materials and late August for video ads. Commissioners discussed the need for consistent messaging, a single slide deck, and a point-person system for approving materials. Deanna Campbell raised concerns about the branding’s color palette and imagery, calling them “dull” and not reflective of the commission’s work. The commission did not formally approve the branding.

Key Outcomes

• Compensation Board Edits (Section 2.04): Motion passed 4-0 to: (1) make commission members non-voting ex officio members appointed by their peers; (2) require compensation recommendations to be adopted prior to candidate filing opening for the next municipal election; (3) add language ensuring public meetings; (4) strike the annual meeting requirement and reference to the subsequent fiscal year; (5) change the title “chief financial officer” to “finance director.” Staff will prepare the revised language for the next meeting.
• Mayor/Vice Mayor Succession (Section 2.06): Motion passed 4-0 to accept the track changes and replace “for the balance of the mayor’s term” with “until the next municipal election” in Section 2.06A. Staff will update the draft.
• Liaison Appointment: Motion passed 3-0-1 (one abstention) to appoint Commissioners Carson and Jan as the point people to coordinate with Dane Geld on outreach materials and messaging.
• Next Meetings: The commission will meet on July 23, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to continue charter revisions, and on July 30, 2026 (no time limit) to finalize the charter and review the education plan. Commissioner Carson and Jan will also present to the Valley West Neighborhood Association on July 27, 2026.
• Action Items: Barb will revise the explanatory text for Sub-options 1 and 2 (Section 2.02) and Article 7 based on commission feedback. Dane Geld will provide a message guidance document and a slide deck for commissioner presentations. The commission will share a list of desired events with Dane Geld.