BOZEMAN — Last week, The City of Bozeman proclaimed Equal Pay Day for the city. A week later, Bozeman's chief judge is saying that she is not getting paid equally.
“They value me less, 90% less than the male chief judge,” says Bozeman Chief Municipal Judge Colleen Herrington.
Judge Herrington has been a full-time judge with the city since she was elected in 2021; she began her new position this January as chief judge.
“I became Bozeman’s first female chief judge,” says Herrington.
Herrington says being the chief judge, she is considered a department head who oversees the municipal court system. The city gives department leaders a 15% pay increase on top of their base salary, one that Herrington says she did not receive.
“When I asked about it, I was told that I am an elected official and therefore am not eligible for that benefit,” says Herrington.
In a resolution passed Tuesday night, the commission set both municipal court judge’s base pay and gave Chief Judge Herrington a 5% increase for the extra duties, not 15%.
Before the City Commission meeting began, Mayor Cyndy Andrus addressed the chamber.
“We acknowledge there are additional responsibilities of the chief judge, whomever that person is regardless of gender. We have looked at those responsibilities and we compensated accordingly,” says Andrus.
When I asked Bozeman Human Resources Director Cassandra Tozer if the previous chief judge received the 15 percent increase—
“He did get the 15% on top of the base pay,” she said.
Judge Karl Seel stood up at city commission in support of Judge Herrington and urged commissioners not to okay the pay resolution.
Herrington says the timing is ironic one week after the city proclaimed equal pay day.
“It is about the principle of being fair and treating a female the same as a male, and as Bozeman’s first female chief judge, I knew I had to stand up and say something,”
In a statement from Mayor Andrus she says, “The City Commission follows state statute and City Charter when determining pay for elected officials.”
Commissioners passed the pay resolution 5-0.
