BOZEMAN — On Wednesday evening, candidates for the Bozeman City Commission and Mayor of Bozeman discussed their views on housing at a forum held at Bozeman Event Space. The event was hosted by Bozeman Tenants United.
At the forum, people concerned about housing asked the candidates for city office three housing-related questions. The first question was about tenants’ right to counsel, which provides renters facing eviction with free or low-cost legal representation.
“Who in here has ever had the opportunity to get a lawyer in Bozeman? It’s hard and it’s expensive,” said Trevor Nameniuk, who is running for City Commission.
WATCH: Housing takes center stage at Bozeman Candidate Forum
The second question was about WARD, a ballot initiative MTN previously reported on that ties water availability and affordable housing together.
“With all due respect, the city commission is full of (expletive) when they tell us we have plenty of water because for years they’ve been telling us we’ve been running out of water,” said John Meyer, a candidate for mayor.
The third question was about the government’s role in supporting tenants and resident-owned communities, such as the recent unionization of the residents who live in King Arthur Park and Mountain Meadows Estates.
“I firmly believe that tenant-owned housing solves the issue of affordability,” said Brendan O’Connor, a candidate for mayor.
MTN spoke with all three candidates for Bozeman Mayor – Douglas Fischer, John Meyer, and Brendan O’Connor – after the event and asked them why they are running.
“I’m running for mayor because I believe Bozeman needs new, effective leadership,” said Fischer.
“We need to fix the way the government is functioning because right now it's not functioning. It’s malfunctioning,” said Meyer.
“ I realized that the current commission, our current mayor, they were not really putting in the work and the effort that I feel that the working class people of Bozeman need,” said O’Connor.
Following the forum, Bozeman Tenants United plans to release endorsements for candidates based on their demonstrated support for renters. The six candidates for the city commission are Emma Bode, Alison Sweeny, Eli Anselmi, Emily Talago, Roger Blank, and Trevor Nameniuk.
To register to vote in the Nov. 4 election, visit this link.
