‘Call the mayor’: students encouraged to engage in local government

The City of Bozeman and Gallatin County governments impact the everyday lives of community members. Because of this, there are many reasons students should get involved in and care about their local government.

Bozeman’s city government follows a city manager commission system, according to City Manager Chuck Winn. This means it is composed of five elected commissioners — including the mayor and the deputy mayor — and one city manager, who implement the policies established by the commissioners.

“Local government is the most direct and responsive form of government,” Winn said. “We live here and we serve this community directly, so everything from public safety to water and sewer, roads, transportation, parks and trails — everything that makes Bozeman a great city — those services are provided by the local government.”

Jeff Krauss served three terms as mayor of Bozeman from 2006 to 2007, 2010 to 2011 and 2014 to 2015. He now serves on the Gallatin County Study Commission, a voter-initiated review of the county government's structure and function, according to the Gallatin County website.

“We mostly study the county structure and how that affects services to the community. Are there better ways a county government can provide other than the structure we have now?” Krauss said.

Students make up a large portion of Bozeman’s population — about 16,800 out of 56,100, according to the MSU website. Because of this, Winn and Krauss both agreed that it is essential for MSU students to get involved and understand how their local government impacts them.

“I was an MSU student. Students come here and they live and they study and they play in this city; that's why students should care,” Winn said. “They are part of our community just like every other person that lives here.”

Krauss, another MSU alum, served as business manager and senator for the Associated Students of MSU (ASMSU) — the University’s student government — while in school. He spoke to ASMSU representatives during his time as mayor and emphasized student participation in local issues.

“I think it's very important to encourage your student government to get involved with the city, and also to have individual students and student clubs and student organizations to take advantage of the city government we have,” Krauss said.

According to Winn — who has worked for the City of Bozeman for 41 years — the local government remains very accessible, despite the areas recent expansion. “Bozeman is the kind of town where anyone can pick up the phone and call the mayor, or pick up the phone and call any of the commissioners, and you are likely to get an answer,” he said.

“I think that is pretty cool in this day and age of division and strife in our national politics that people here in Bozeman — students here in Bozeman — can make a phone call and talk to the people that make important decisions about this place.”