The Bozeman City Study Commission held its February 18, 2026 meeting to advance work on proposed charter amendments. The commission approved a revised timeline for charter development, pushing final approval to late August to avoid the busy Fourth of July period while maintaining the August 10 deadline for ballot language submission to the county election office. The group also voted to issue a request for proposals for a ballot education specialist by March 1, with recommendations due April 15, to ensure voters receive clear, unbiased information about the proposed charter changes. Additionally, the commission met with Gallatin County election officials Eric Semerad and Jasmine Hall to discuss the feasibility of using special elections to fill city commission vacancies, learning that state law likely prohibits this method and that appointment-based filling with enhanced public input may be the only legally viable option under current Montana law.