Bozeman City Commissioner Christopher Coburn announced Tuesday night that he is resigning from his position.
Coburn announced his decision at the start of the regular commission meeting, saying his last date as a commissioner will be May 7. Coburn was appointed to the commission in 2021, a couple of months before winning election to a four-year term. He became the first openly gay, Black elected official in Montana.
Coburn, 32, said during his announcement that he is moving away from Bozeman around the same time he resigns, citing personal reasons. He said that he knows some people may be disappointed by the move — jokingly adding that he knows some may be excited.
Coburn said he decided he didn’t have it in him to finish out the remaining 18 months in his term.
“For the past three years, I've been putting a lot of my energy and intentionality into working for and alongside this community in what I think are big and meaningful ways, and at that same time, I've also been navigating deep and painful grief,” Coburn said. “And to be honest with you all it's been really hard.”
Coburn has served on the Gallatin City-County Board of Health, the Economic Vitality Board and also was a founder of Queer Bozeman.
Coburn said it has been an honor to be a commissioner.
“I really want this to be known. I have not stopped and will not stop caring about the future of Bozeman, the people who live here now, the people who might live here in the years to come,” Coburn said.
After Coburn announced his resignation, Deputy Mayor Joey Morrison said the news was hitting him hard.
“This is a person I’ve watched be a leader in this community, a leader on this body, someone who I admired and oftentimes of course was fiercely critical of … but I had hoped for more time to serve as your colleague,” Morrison said.
State law requires that the seat be filled by appointment within 30 days of it becoming vacant. The seat will be up for election in November 2025. Coburn himself first joined the commission through an appointment, as did current commissioners Jennifer Madgic and Douglas Fischer. (Madgic has won re-election twice since being appointed).
This comes as another shake-up in city government in recent months. Most recently, former City Manager Jeff Mihelich resigned in early March after a video leaked showing him complaining about city officials.
Former Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy also resigned in October, several months after being diagnosed with cancer. Fischer was appointed to fill her seat in December, and Pomeroy died in mid-March.
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