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Bozeman commenters urge switch to wards, more localized representation
Summary
At an April 3 public hearing, multiple Bozeman residents told the Local Government Study Commission they favor electing commissioners by wards or districts, increasing local representation and restoring neighborhood-level checks on development.
At an April 3 public hearing of the Bozeman City Local Government Study Commission, several residents urged the commission to replace the current at‑large election system with wards or districts and to consider adding seats so commissioners represent smaller geographic areas.
Supporters said a ward system would improve representation for rapidly growing neighborhoods and make elected officials more accountable to neighbors. “If you have voting districts… the person has to live in their district. They have to see their neighbors. They have to know what these people want,” said Bill Mokel, a longtime Bozeman resident.
The request recurred throughout public comment. Ron Bray, who worked in Bozeman local government for 21 years, said warding can cause commissioners to “fight over pieces of the pie,” but added that growth on the northwest and southwest edges of the city could make rebalancing representation necessary. Noah Tenbrook argued wards or stronger neighborhood associations would ensure more geographic diversity on the commission and recommended compensating commissioners so a broader pool of candidates can run.
Proponents tied the ward idea to other concerns, including public notice and participation. Several speakers said they felt important decisions — such as land‑use and development approvals — were made with inadequate public notice and with insufficient local input, especially from neighborhoods that feel the impacts directly.
Not all details were uniformly specified; speakers offered different ward sizing and compensation options but consistently framed the change as a way to improve local responsiveness. The commission did not take action on the topic at the hearing; members said they will summarize public input at the May 1 meeting and consider study options going forward.
Ending: The study commission’s next meeting is scheduled for May 1; commissioners said they will use the next session to review written comments and the summaries of tonight’s testimony before deciding which structural options merit deeper study.
