BOZEMAN — In 2024, the City of Bozeman will see some new leadership changes. Deputy Mayor Terry Cunningham will officially step into the mayor's seat, and the city will also see its youngest new deputy mayor, with Joey Morrison taking the helm as well this year.
I sat down with Terry Cunningham on his last day as deputy mayor to talk about the city's challenges and its goals as they head into the new year.
“In 2021, a lot of the issues that we were dealing with today were issues back then. So a lot of them are the same. Quite frankly, there are some new issues related to urban camping,” says Cunningham.
To address the urban camping issue, Cunningham wants to see more housing supply and variety of housing built.
“We need housing to get people off the street. We need housing for our workforce. We need housing for young families,” says Cunningham.
Bozeman’s top two leadership positions will also see change. Joey Morrison becomes the youngest person on the commission.
“Like to get Joey involved in all the major discussions that we have, whether it's with the Commission, county commission, with MSU,” says Cunningham.
Cunningham’s biggest goals involve the environment and housing growth.
“Work with Northwestern Energy in the city of Missoula for a new renewable rate option gets passed by the Public Safety Commission. We have a new sensitive lands plan that I want to start enacting immediately by having wildlife crossings. And I want to create neighborhoods of the future so that people can have housing next to each other, whether that's single family or townhomes,” says Cunningham.
Cunningham says that he also wants to see the city still have more local control in the coming years. The city holds its swearing-in ceremony for the mayor, the deputy mayor, and Commissioner Magic at City Hall on Tuesday night.
