THE FACTS

• The City Commission is advancing a tenant right-to-counsel ordinance that would create a new, city-funded legal services program for tenants.
• They are holding a special meeting on Tuesday Dec 2 at 1pm.
• The proposal comes despite the City’s own history of development choices that created a permanent renter class and invited large out-of-state corporate landlords into Bozeman.
• Bozeman already has a tenant advocacy organization (Bozeman Tenants United) with dues-paying members. Nevertheless, the City wants taxpayers—including homeowners, small landlords, and families—to subsidize legal services for tenants.
• Costs are unknown: demand, staffing needs, long-term funding, and the educational program budget remain undefined.
• The ordinance covers far more than eviction defense—including security deposit disputes, repair claims, damage claims, and pre-litigation representation.
• Only tenants are required to attempt mediation; landlords are not, and nothing prevents immediate escalation into litigation.
• The City has already diverted federal Community Development Block Grant funds toward the program, with no clarity on how long that funding will last or what taxpayers will be responsible for if it disappears.
• The City previously claimed it was facing a $1.77 million general fund deficit, yet now claims to have “savings” available to launch this new program.
• This ordinance would result in the City using taxpayer dollars to hire lawyers to sue local landlords.

Resources:

Bozeman Staff Memo Tenant Right to Counsel | Expanded Talking Points

ORDINANCE Adopting TRC and Mediation Programs | RESOLUTION Adopting TRC Mediation & Education

WHY IT MATTERS

• This proposal shifts responsibility for the City’s own housing policy failures onto taxpayers instead of addressing root causes.
• Small, local landlords—those who keep rents stable—are the most likely to be harmed, pushed out, or pressured to sell, leading to even more corporate landlord dominance.
• The City is committing itself to a long-term entitlement program with no reliable funding source at a time when it cannot meet basic needs like fire protection, police staffing, and emergency response times.
• It undermines public trust, especially after the City justified higher taxes and additional mills just months ago by claiming budget shortfalls.
• The ordinance invites more litigation and conflict, not less, and creates an uneven system where only one side gets taxpayer-funded legal representation.
• This adds yet another financial obligation at the exact time when both property tax revenue and development-related revenue streams are uncertain.
• It accelerates Bozeman’s transition into a renter-majority city, which increases dependence on government programs while eroding local property ownership—one of the pillars of community stability.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Send written public comment to the City Commission opposing the ordinance to comments@bozeman.net
• Attend the upcoming meeting and speak during public comment—your presence matters even if you don’t speak.
• Contact commissioners directly and ask for:
• A fiscal analysis
• A list of cost projections
• An explanation of how this aligns with their claims of past budget deficits
• Share this alert with other homeowners, landlords, property owners, and renters who value transparency and accountability.
• Ask the City to prioritize core services first—fire, police, and infrastructure—before expanding into new legal entitlement programs