Two years ago, Bozeman voters were asked whether they wanted to take a serious look at how our city government represents them. They said yes.

For nearly two years, the five members of the Bozeman City Study Commission have listened, studied, debated and, at times, strongly disagreed. Now the decision no longer belongs to us. It belongs to you.

If what you wanted from this process was broader representation and a greater voice in the decisions that affect your neighborhood and your city, you must vote for the choices that will actually produce it:

Today, Bozeman has four commissioners and a mayor, all elected citywide. One of the concerns we heard repeatedly was that this has not produced geographically broad representation. The final report recognizes that Bozeman's tremendous growth has left some citizens feeling underrepresented and gives voters the opportunity to expand the Commission and elect commissioners by wards.

Interestingly, there was considerable agreement about wards when this process began.

Represent Bozeman, an effort led by Bozeman Tenants United, was among those advocating for the government review. One of its stated goals was ward elections and representation rather than electing every commissioner at large. The argument was that people in different parts of Bozeman did not feel adequately represented when commissioners historically came largely from the same areas of the city.

They were right about the problem.

Somewhere along the way, however, some of those who had advocated for wards began arguing against them.

But the facts have not changed.

A genuine ward system does something very simple. It gives each part of Bozeman its own representative. It spreads leadership across our growing city and opens the door to people from different neighborhoods, circumstances and backgrounds who might never be elected under the present citywide system.

But merely requiring commissioners to live in wards isn't enough. If every voter in Bozeman still votes for every commissioner, the same citywide voting bloc can continue to determine every seat. Only the people who live in a ward should choose the person who represents them.

You may hear warnings about “gerrymandering.” I encourage voters to look at what the proposed charter actually says rather than be frightened by the word. Article VII, Section 7.04 of the proposed charter contains specific safeguards governing how ward boundaries are drawn.

Ward populations must be substantially equal, with no deviation greater than 10 percent. Wards must be compact and contiguous. Natural and physical boundaries are to be used, and precinct, neighborhood and census boundaries respected where possible. The process must be open and transparent and include at least two public hearings before boundaries are finalized.

Can politics ever be completely removed from a political process? Probably not. But the mere possibility of abuse is not a good reason to reject geographic representation when safeguards have been written into the charter to prevent it. Under our present system, commissioners can all come from the same part of town. Wards help correct the imbalance by ensuring representation from across the city.

There is another important reason to vote for the amended charter: Article VIII puts public engagement into the charter itself.

This came directly from what we heard from the people of Bozeman. Again and again, citizens told us they did not feel heard. They felt pushed aside during important decisions and believed that too often positions had already been decided before they had an opportunity to participate. Our final report says plainly that the public wanted “more engagement and a seat at the table.”

Article VIII responds to that concern. It calls for two-way communication and opportunities for public input on major decisions. It says the City should explain how that input will be considered and how it affected decisions. It encourages the formation of neighborhood associations and strengthens their role, along with that of the InterNeighborhood Council. Importantly, the City is directed to consult the Council during the formative stages of citywide planning, policy initiatives and budget discussions affecting neighborhoods.

Public participation needs to happen early enough to help shape a decision, not simply give people three minutes at a microphone after the direction has already been set.

Expanding the Commission from four commissioners to six matters. Bozeman has grown enormously while the number of people representing its citizens has not. Six commissioners plus a mayor creates room for more voices, more neighborhoods and more people with different life experiences to participate in governing this city.

There are provisions in the amended charter about which reasonable people can disagree. I certainly have during our deliberations. But this is the first opportunity Bozeman voters have had in 20 years to make meaningful changes to the way their city government works.

But approving the amended charter is only the first step. The three sub-options determine whether some of the most important changes voters asked for actually happen. And they take effect only if voters first approve the amended charter.

If you wanted broader representation and a greater voice in City government when you voted for this review, this is the vote that makes it happen:

• YES to the amended charter.
• SIX commissioners plus the mayor.
• YES to wards.
• YES to election of each ward commissioner by the voters who live in that ward.

You asked for change. Now you have to vote for it.

Deanna Campbell

Bozeman City Study Commissioner

The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Bozeman Local Government Study Commission or its other members.