Bozeman Blitz- Issue 1

Have you ever had the experience where you’re listening to someone speak, trying to understand what they’re saying, but once they finish the best you’ve got is a blank stare because you don’t know wtf they just said? That’s kinda what it feels like sitting in on a city commission meeting for the first time. 

Every month I will try to bring you a new, different perspective on the Bozeman city commission and the business happening before it. This month, I want to dive into what the commission does and why it’s important. We’ll look at Bozeman’s “style” of government, resolutions and ordinances that come before the commission, and the scope the commission can cover. 

---

Strong Mayor v. Weak Mayor

Most people probably have a pretty good grasp on how federal or state governments function. What most people don’t understand (myself included) is how local governments can function. 

There are two common types of government structure for localities, commonly known as a “strong mayor” or “weak mayor.” In a strong mayor system, the mayor has direct administrative authority over the city and its departments, whereas in a weak mayor system, a city manager is appointed and oversees those administrative duties. 

Bozeman operates under a weak mayor form of government, meaning there is an appointed city manager. The city manager oversees all of the administrative duties of the city of Bozeman’s government while the mayor acts as a figurehead for the city and as another Commission member. (There is a prize to whoever can send me the names of our commission members and city manager first!)

Bozeman has a five person city commission responsible for conducting city business. Most ordinance proposals or plans that come before the city require a majority vote in order to implement or move forward.. Now you might be asking yourself, WTF is an ordinance??

---

Resolutions v. Ordinances

When the city commission is in session, they will usually hear plans from developers about upcoming development projects, such as information about the ongoing parking issue, lately there has been a big emphasis on “urban camping.” So how does the city pass meaningful policies that will address these concerns? It usually comes in the form of an ordinance or a resolution. But what is the difference between the two?

You can think of an ordinance as a local law. It’s something that the city commission can pass that is enforced within city limits as long as it follows the rules set by the legislature. For example, the city just passed an ordinance that bans the use and sale of fireworks within city limits (unless you have the proper permit). The city has the authority to do this since no Montana laws prevent cities from passing firework bans. If the legislature was to come back into session and pass a state law that said cities can’t pass firework bans for reason x, y, and z then, the city’s ordinance would be repealed.

Now, a resolution is oftentimes a little more for show than to accomplish a policy goal. It’s more of an expression of the city’s opinion on something to try and encourage specific behavior. This usually happens in circumstances of laws that the city doesn’t have the authority to enforce or oversee. This can generally be politically charged and lately has been used in response to unfriendly laws passed by the state legislature. The city will write, hear, and pass resolutions that condone the laws passed by the legislature since there isn’t anything else they can do about it (other than draw attention to them!) One example is how the city adopted its City for CEDAW resolution last year, showing solidarity and a commitment to eliminating violence against women, girls, and trans folks.

In some instances, resolutions can accomplish policy goals. For example, in Bozeman, when there are annexations or zone map amendments, they are passed via resolutions. In this way, resolutions are also tools to implement city policy, whereas an ordinance creates a new policy (law) or amends an existing one and often includes a mechanism for enforcement.

---

Commission Scope 

I’ve already touched on a few things  the commission talks and makes decisions about. But let’s dive a little deeper into it… 

The Bozeman city commission has the authority to create ordinances that are laws within city limits. They oversee developments that are proposed to be built within city limits, and they have the power to annex property into city limits (expanding the size of the city). The city tackles issues affecting residents, like a lack of parking, failing streets, and unaffordable housing. Additionally, in an effort to provide direction to a growing city, Bozeman has developed action plans, including a climate action plan, a growth plan, and community housing action plan. 

There is more to unpack there, but this is a journey. Let’s start with this for now.

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of the Bozeman Blitz. I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback, diving deeper into your questions, and your ideas and plans for making change in this city. I wrote this with the help of an amazing city commissioner, “say who,” and used my friend, Google, to fill in some gaps.

---