As a former Mayor of Bozeman, I cannot help but wonder what it would be like to serve now. Since the first of the year, the city commission has hired a new city manager, worked with the county and the board of health to create a uniform response to the previously unknown, but lethal, COVID-19, met remotely, but transparently, started a process of considering how the city can improve on community policing, including but not limited to, more diversity in hiring, and passed a budget that continues to be environmentally sensitive, while also considering the economic downturn due to the covid.
At the same time they all did the normal work of governing a rapidly growing city. The new city manager has done a great job of adapting to the culture of Bozeman and the city commission has effectively done its job. It is the mayor, however, who has to make the meetings and agendas work, who has to connect with the state, county and city-county health officer on tough virus issues. Chris Mehl has done a great job of leading the city through these times, and we should be proud of him and the team — city commissioners, city manager, city staff and city-county health department — that has kept us true to our long range strategic plan, while also advising us on ways to stay as healthy as possible in the face of the unanticipated killer virus.
Mayor Chris Mehl, thank you.
Carson Taylor
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle 8/2/20