The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Montana State University will host a virtual Friday Forum on September 12 to discuss the structure of local government and the role of study commissions in Gallatin County and Bozeman.
The event, titled “Should We Change Our Local Government Structure?”, will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. It is open to the public at no cost.
Representatives from city and county study commissions will provide updates on their work and describe how they plan to involve the public as they consider whether to recommend changes for voters to consider in an upcoming election. Under the Montana Constitution, local governments are reviewed by voters every ten years.
Due to recent significant population growth, voters in Gallatin County and Bozeman decided in May 2024 to establish study commissions for their local governments. In November 2023, five citizens were elected to serve on the city study commission and seven on the county commission. The commissions are examining issues such as whether three commissioners are sufficient for Gallatin County—the second most populous county in Montana—and whether city commissioners should be chosen from specific districts or wards instead of through at-large elections.
Participants need to register for the Friday Forum via Zoom before 11 a.m. on September 12. Registered attendees will receive an email with access details prior to the event.
Friday Forums are held monthly from September through May and are organized by OLLI at MSU, which operates under Academic Technology and Outreach. More information about these forums can be found on OLLI at MSU’s offerings page at montana.edu/olli/offerings or by calling 406-994-6646.
