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Billings council votes 6–5 to dissolve Citizens Police Advisory Board after months of debate
Summary
After hours of public testimony and a sharply split council debate, Billings City Council voted 6–5 to dissolve the Citizens Police Advisory Board. Supporters called the board a low-cost channel for transparency; opponents said it failed to perform oversight functions expected by the community.
Billings City Council voted to dissolve the Citizens Police Advisory Board (CPAB) following extended public comment and a closely divided council. Councilmember Bill Kennedy moved to take the operations committee recommendation to disband the advisory body; the motion passed after a call to end debate with the final tally recorded as 6 in favor and 5 opposed.
Supporters of the CPAB urged the council to retain the board and to allow more public review before making a final decision. "The board strengthened community engagement, supported recruitment and retention, advanced crime prevention strategies, built partnerships, and brought community voices into public safety policy," said Carrie Boyter, chair of the CPAB. Penny Ronning, who provided a historical review of the board's formation, asked the council to remove the dissolution item from the agenda and allow a public work session and a forthcoming white paper to be part of the record.
Opponents and some council members argued the CPAB had not performed the oversight functions some residents expected and that other existing channels (police complaint procedures, task forces, the Citizens Police Academy) could serve public needs. "I can't see where you add another citizens' advisory committee," Councilmember Kennedy said while urging dissolution, citing available alternatives and community task forces that already provide input to staff and the chief.
The motion was seconded by Councilmember Mike Boyett. When asked to record opposing votes, the mayor noted five council members voted 'no' and identified them by name during the roll call. Councilmembers who spoke in favor of keeping the board warned that dissolving the CPAB now — as the city prepares to hire a new police chief and during ongoing community concerns — could harm public trust. Several residents recounted delays and frustrations with complaint processes when urging retention.
Next steps: the council's motion dissolves the board per the operations committee recommendation; the record shows councilmembers who opposed the motion indicated interest in returning to the issue with a work session to revise the board's charge or structure rather than keep the current CPAB in place.
