Butte‑Silver Bow hearing features broad public support for city‑county manager and smaller commission

Butte, Mont. — Dozens of residents urged the Butte‑Silver Bow Study Commission on May 4 to adopt a city‑county manager form of government and reduce the size of the Council of Commissioners.

Mr. Rick Anderson said replacing the elected Chief Executive with a professionally trained city‑county manager would better match the technical demands of running government, and that a smaller commission would improve efficiency. "Managing government requires specialized training and should not depend on elected popularity," Anderson said.

Other supporters echoed that view. Commissioner Jim Fisher, a 13‑year incumbent, said the community has not progressed as effectively under the current system and called a 12‑member commission excessive. "After 40 years under the current system, the community has not progressed as effectively as peer communities," Fisher said. Larry Smith and Elena Moore also backed the manager model, with Smith urging full‑time, adequately compensated commissioners to increase accountability and Moore saying younger generations need a system built for longer‑term governance.

Why it matters: Proponents argued a professional manager would improve budgeting, personnel management and day‑to‑day operations, while a smaller commission would reduce lengthy meetings and facilitate clearer accountability. Several speakers, including Shannon Parker, stressed that a manager‑mayor split must include clearly defined roles to avoid overlap, and suggested four to five commissioners to preserve geographic access if three members would be too few.

Not everyone agreed. Opponents said moving to an appointed manager weakens voter control. Gabriel Offit voiced concern that shifting power from elected officials to appointed staff could reduce direct voter influence. Mike Flanick said he preferred elected leadership and worried about representation for outlying areas.

Other agenda points: Speakers also addressed departmental restructuring, with multiple commenters supporting adding Superfund and Parks & Recreation as distinct departments in the charter. Jim Fisher and Dan Olson specifically recommended creating independent departments to improve accountability. The Study Commission closed the public hearing at 6:30 p.m. and scheduled deliberations on May 11, 2026.

What’s next: The Study Commission will review public comment at its May 11 deliberations before finalizing recommendations to place charter language before voters.

Sources: Public testimony at the Butte‑Silver Bow Study Commission public hearing, May 4, 2026.