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Brett Potter and Cyndy Andrus, the two hopefuls squaring off in this fall’s election to be Bozeman’s future mayor, have plenty in common at first glance.
Both are longtime Bozeman residents, espouse the virtues of collaboration and biking, and consider finding smart ways to manage the city’s growth local government’s most pressing priority.
When it comes to the details, though (or some of them, at least) — they do have their differences.
Andrus, a member of the City Commission since 2010, is running on the body’s record, pointing to what she calls “bold steps” commissioners have taken to provide for the city’s future. Among them, she says, are the creation of an arterial street district to raise money for patching in gaps in the city’s road network, as well as allocating financial support for the Streamline bus network and Gallatin community college.
Potter, an architect and Bozeman native, argues in contrast that the city’s leadership needs to do more to manage growth wisely. Its policies, he says, must ensure new developments are designed as complete neighborhoods and foster enough economic growth to keep up with the city’s rapidly increasing population.
Andrus, 58, was born in Rochester, Minnesota, and has a degree in elementary education from the University of Minnesota. Married to former Montana legislator Brady Wiseman, she now works as a tourism promotion consultant following a longtime marketing role with the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce.
She was initially appointed to the commission to fill a vacancy in 2010, then elected to a full four-year term in 2011.
A Bozeman resident for “20-plus” years, Andrus drives a 1996 Subaru (“of course”), and also owns bikes and a Vanagon camper. Her family also owns a beer garden at the Minnesota State Fair.
In addition to her work with the Bozeman City Commission, Andrus serves on several state advisory boards, including the Montana Tourism Advisory Council and the Montana Arts Council.
“I’m really passionate about this work,” she says, adding that it’s rewarding to be involved in making decisions on a local level where it’s possible to “see the implications of what you do.”
Potter, 39, proudly notes that he was born in the old Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman, and now lives with his partner Kristin Nybo in a small, energy-efficient house he designed on Bozeman’s south side, along with a pair of dogs and four barn-rescued cats.
After going to school to study music, he eventually found architecture, earning a bachelor’s in environmental design and then a master’s degree from the University of Colorado before making his way back to Bozeman.
One of the first 10 LEED-accredited professionals in the state, he helped design the Bozeman Library and is involved with a current project to design a building for Missoula College that he said will be certified at a LEED gold level. He’s also been involved with work on HRDC’s community cafe, he said, and completed several beautification projects along North Seventh Avenue.
Potter also serves on the city planning board, where he was appointed by current Mayor Jeff Krauss. He also made an unsuccessful bid for a City Commission seat in 2013.
A self-proclaimed airstream trailer enthusiast, he drives a 2012 Ford Focus when he’s not in his work truck, and estimates he and Nybo are able to do half their commuting via walking or biking.
“I’m a community designer,” he says. “And all we are doing is building subdivisions.”
“I think there’s a better way for us to plan,” he adds.
On many counts, both candidates espouse similar, if not identical ideas — among them a project to rewrite the city’s building code to, in part, make redevelopment easier along the North Seventh corridor.
Both are also staunch advocates for greater collaboration between city leaders and the Gallatin County Commission, saying coordination with things like transportation infrastructure is vital as the Gallatin Valley, inside and outside city limits, becomes more densely populated.
Potter, however, endorsed by the Southwest Montana Building Industry Association, is adamantly opposed to an inclusionary zoning policy that, as part of a broader housing affordability plan being considered by the commission, could stick the home building industry with mandated quotas for affordable home production. Both Potter and building industry representatives have argued a mandate is an unworkable policy that would result in a citywide increase in housing costs.
Andrus, who acknowledges the concerns around inclusionary zoning, says the city needs to have a way of holding the building industry accountable for producing affordable housing but admits she isn’t sure a mandate is the right approach.
Potter also argues the city should be doing more on an economic development front, encouraging businesses to locate inside city limits so fewer Bozeman residents have to commute across town.
Bozeman’s mayor chairs the five-member commission, the body that oversees the city’s operations, sets its $100 million budget and serves as its ultimate policy authority. The mayor also has the power to appoint five of the nine members on the city planning board.
The winning mayoral candidate will take office as Bozeman’s deputy mayor when Krauss’ term expires at the end of the year. After a two-year period where current Deputy Mayor Carson Taylor will chair the City Commission, either Andrus or Potter will then become the city’s mayor in 2018.
Mail-in ballots for the fall city election, which also features a competition between Krauss and Mel Howe to fill Andrus’ existing commission seat, will be sent to voters starting Oct. 9, with the Election Day deadline for their return set for Nov. 3.
Originally published by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.