The Bozeman City Manager is the appointed chief administrative officer who runs the city’s day-to-day operations under the direction of the elected City Commission. Chuck Winn has held the position permanently since May 2025, after serving as interim city manager from February 2024 and previously as the city’s Fire Chief and assistant city manager. With Bozeman’s population approaching 60,000, the role keeps professional administrative expertise in place regardless of election cycles.
What the City Manager Does
Bozeman uses a commission-manager form of government, authorized under Montana Code Annotated 7-3-301.1Montana State Legislature. Montana Code Annotated 7-3-301 – Commission-Manager Form The five-member Commission sets policy and passes ordinances. The manager carries that policy out.
Section 3.04 of the Bozeman City Charter spells out the core duties: enforcing city laws and ordinances, directing and supervising every municipal department, and advising the Commission on administrative matters.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter In practice, that means the manager controls hiring and personnel decisions for city staff, sets performance expectations across departments from police to public works, and provides the Commission with the data, cost estimates, and operational analysis behind proposed decisions. If a department underperforms, the manager bears responsibility, not individual commissioners.
Budget work is where the authority is most tangible. Under Charter Section 5.02, the manager must submit both a preliminary and a final budget to the Commission in a timely manner. The accompanying budget message has to explain the proposal in terms of work programs tied to community priorities, outline financial policies, flag major changes from the current year, and summarize the city’s debt position. Once the Commission adopts the budget, the manager administers it and can transfer funds between programs within a department. If revenues fall short mid-year, the manager must immediately report the estimated deficit to the Commission, explain any corrective steps already taken, and recommend further action.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter
How the Manager Is Appointed
The Commission appoints the City Manager by majority vote of its total membership. The charter requires selection based on professional qualifications and administrative experience rather than political affiliation.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter There is no fixed term. The manager serves at the pleasure of the Commission, which makes the relationship essentially employer-employee.
Chuck Winn’s path illustrates the kind of career the system rewards. He started as a volunteer firefighter with the city, rose to Fire Chief, then served as assistant city manager before the Commission tapped him as interim manager in February 2024 following the resignation of his predecessor, Jeff Mihelic. His permanent appointment came in May 2025.
How the Manager Can Be Removed
Because the manager serves at the Commission’s pleasure, removal is always available, but the charter builds in procedural steps. Under Section 3.02, if the manager declines to resign when asked, the Commission can suspend the manager through a resolution approved by a majority of its total membership, stating the reasons for the suspension and proposed removal.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter
The manager then has fifteen days to respond in writing and can request a public hearing, which must be held between ten and fifteen days after the request. After the hearing, the Commission can adopt a final removal resolution by majority vote. The manager continues to receive full salary until the effective date of that final resolution.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter
When the manager is temporarily absent or unable to serve, Section 3.03 requires the manager to designate a city officer or employee to step in by administrative order filed with the City Clerk. The Commission can revoke that designation at any time and appoint a different acting manager.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter
Why Commissioners Can’t Direct City Staff
One of the more consequential provisions in the Bozeman Charter is Section 2.05, which draws a hard line between the Commission’s policy role and the manager’s administrative authority. Individual commissioners cannot order city employees around, publicly or privately. When a commissioner wants something handled at the staff level, the charter requires going through the City Manager.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter
The same section bars the Commission or any of its members from controlling or demanding the appointment or removal of any employee the manager is empowered to hire. Commissioners can raise staffing concerns with the manager, but the final personnel decision stays with the manager.2Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Code of Ordinances – Part I Charter For residents, that means a complaint about a specific department or employee lands most effectively with the manager’s office, not with an individual commissioner.
Contacting the City Manager’s Office
The City Manager’s office is at City Hall, 121 North Rouse Avenue, Suite 201, Bozeman. The Executive Assistant can be reached at (406) 582-2306.3City of Bozeman. City Hall – Administrative Office Questions about public comment opportunities or citizen advisory boards go to the City Clerk’s office at (406) 582-2321.4City of Bozeman. City Management FAQs