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Bozeman commission approves revisions to ethics opinions and complaint procedures
Summary
The City Commission unanimously adopted an ordinance reorganizing parts of the city’s Code of Ethics to shift formal ethics opinions to the city attorney, clarify the attorney’s role, and tighten complaint hearing procedures; the Board of Ethics had recommended the changes.
The Bozeman City Commission on Monday unanimously approved an ordinance amending portions of the city’s Code of Ethics to clarify who issues formal ethics opinions and to reorganize procedures for hearing complaints.
Assistant City Attorney Jenga Tari told the commission the ordinance revises seven code sections so the city attorney — rather than the Board of Ethics — will be the primary entity to issue written ethics opinions and so the complaint‑hearing procedure is more clearly laid out. “Because the complaint process is in many ways akin to a court hearing or judicial proceeding, our proposals for Section 6‑40 are really a tightening and a clarification and organizing the section better so it’s easier for everyone to understand,” Tari said.
Why it matters: The changes aim to make the ethics process clearer and more accessible to the public, including an explicit statement that members of the public may request an ethics opinion from the city attorney. The ordinance also clarifies who the city attorney represents in cases of potential conflict and reorganizes provisions that previously were scattered across multiple sections.
Board recommendation and public comment: Tari said the Board of Ethics unanimously recommended the ordinance after a work‑plan review that identified opinions and complaint procedures as priorities. The commission received no substantive public opposition during the hearing.
Vote: Commissioner Fisher moved to approve the ordinance; the motion passed 5–0. Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, Commissioner Boddy, Commissioner Majic and Commissioner Fisher voted aye.
Ending: City staff said the Board of Ethics will continue other work under its 5‑item plan, including an updated ethics handbook, a mock ethics hearing, and a substantive review of the remainder of the ethics code.
