Bozeman commission approves 3% merit raise for City Manager Chuck Wynne in 4-1 vote

Joey Morrison, sworn in as Bozeman’s mayor earlier in the meeting, presided as the commission voted to approve a 3% merit increase to City Manager Chuck Wynne’s base salary.

The commission voted 4-1 to pass the raise, with Deputy Mayor Douglas Fisher, Commissioner Emma Bode, Commissioner Majic and Mayor Morrison voting in favor and Commissioner Allison Sweeney voting no. The motion was introduced and seconded from the dais before debate.

Why it matters: Commissioners defended the increase as a retention and performance decision tied to Wynne’s leadership through complex issues, while opponents framed it as a budget and process concern. Commissioner Sweeney said she was uncomfortable because she did not participate in the closed December evaluation and asked that future performance reviews align so the same commissioners who review a manager also vote on pay changes.

Public comment split. Roger Blank, speaking in opposition, argued the proposed $70,000 amendment referenced earlier in the meeting (a separate furniture contract item) and executive compensation represented poor allocation of taxpayer dollars and compared local salaries to other cities. “That $70,000 could pay for your public safety official,” he said. Supporters including business owner David Loesseff and resident Barry Brown praised Wynne’s stewardship on issues such as parking, housing and pandemic response and urged the commission to retain experienced leadership.

Commissioners who supported the raise emphasized the difficulty and 24/7 nature of the city manager’s role and warned of the high cost of executive turnover. Commissioner Bode noted past merit increases for the manager had sometimes been larger and described the proposed 3% as consistent with personnel goals. Fisher said retaining a capable city manager saves the city money and provides stability.

The vote outcome and immediate effect: Formerly consent item G1 passed 4-1; the commission did not add additional instructions beyond approval. No amendment to the motion was adopted and no follow-up report was directed at the meeting.

Next steps: The merit increase is effective per commission action; Commissioner Sweeney requested that the timing and transparency of future evaluations be reconsidered so that the reviewing commission is the one approving compensation changes.