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Consultant outlines mayor-manager options and trade-offs for Bozeman charter
Summary
Consultant Dan Clark told the Bozeman Study Commission there is a spectrum of executive arrangements — from a strong mayor to a commission-manager with a chief administrative officer — and that the right choice depends on the city's size, risk tolerance and whether voters want an elected executive or a professional manager.
Consultant Dan Clark told the Bozeman Study Commission on Feb. 5 that cities can choose a range of executive structures and that the "best" model depends on local priorities and capacity. Clark walked commissioners through statutory options that vary who hires and fires department heads, who prepares the budget and whether an elected mayor has veto power.
"If you wanted a strong-mayor form of government, they can adopt [the statute] and the mayor would appoint and remove without the consent of the council," Clark said, describing a model that concentrates executive control. He contrasted that with versions in which department-head appointments require commission consent or where the mayor prepares a budget only in consultation with the commission and department heads.
Why it matters: the commission is reviewing…
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