Post-scandal, Bozeman city manager aims to restore trust

Article Summary –

Chuck Winn, a long-serving employee of Bozeman city, has been promoted from assistant city manager to interim city manager. He replaces previous city manager Jeff Mihelich, who was dismissed after disparaging comments he made towards city officials were leaked online. Winn’s priorities in his new role include rebuilding trust in the city government and addressing critical city issues such as urban camping, gender discrimination, controversial housing developments, and wastewater management.

Bozeman’s Longest-Serving City Employee Becomes Interim City Manager

After four decades of service, Chuck Winn, Bozeman’s longest-standing city employee, ascends to the role of interim city manager. This move follows the dismissal of his predecessor, Jeff Mihelich, over a viral video scandal. In the video, Mihelich was seen disparaging commissioners, discussing his salary, and expressing his frustration with what he called “small-town shit”.

Winn, a likeable 60-year-old, with a firefighter-decorated office dwelt on the incident, stating it as an “unfortunate distraction”. He assured that such comments aren’t reflective of the city hall’s attitude. “We need to put that behind us,” Winn stated. He stressed the importance of learning from the incident and moving forward.

He further highlighted that the city’s operations remain unaffected by the changes in city management. “We’re still picking up the garbage. We’re still patrolling the streets. We’re still putting out the fires. We’re still providing water and sewer services. All of that continues regardless of who the city manager is,” he said.

Winn’s career with the city began in the early 1980s as a volunteer fireman. Through dedication and hard work, he climbed the ranks, serving in roles such as fire inspector, fire marshall, and eventually fire chief. His second career began in 2008 when he became the assistant city manager under then-manager Chris Kukulski.

Despite working under four different city managers since 2017, Winn never aspired to permanently take on the role due to its transient nature. His recent promotion comes amidst ongoing trust issues following the Mihelich incident and the departure of co-assistant city manager, Kira Peters.

Winn now faces a host of pressing issues including urban camping struggles, a gender discrimination lawsuit, controversial housing developments, and adapting the development code to accommodate the city’s growth. Despite the workload, Winn remains undeterred stating, “I’ll never complain about, or never talk about how many hours I work. I don’t clock in and I don’t clock out. I never have.”

Mayor Terry Cunningham expressed confidence in Winn’s ability to restore trust in city hall, describing him as a “known factor to the community”. Bozeman citizens are also set to vote on a potential change from a council-manager to a mayor-council system, which could alter the role of city manager.

Despite the challenges, Winn remains committed to serving Bozeman, insisting that he is only an interim city manager, and has asked for his old position to be kept open. Meanwhile, Bozeman is recruiting for an assistant city manager with an annual salary range of $184,000 to $202,000.

—
Read More Montana News