Ever since I moved my family to Bozeman 25 years ago there has been a battle about the Law & Justice Center.

A new L&J has been turned down at least three times that I’m aware of, so the city and county have decided to each go their separate ways.

The city is proposing a $36.9 million Public Safety Center proposal for Bozeman voters.

Things I like — Things I Don’t

No proposal is perfect and satisfies everyone but this one comes as close as any I’ve seen.

One of the things I don’t like is the separation of the Sheriff and the City Police. I think they need to be housed together to be able to work together more efficiently.

Some of the things I do like is that the city will not have to purchase land for this project.

Moving the fire station on Rouse to this location would make that building available for sale and add the property tax on that property to the city.

That would work to offset some of the financial burden on taxpayers. A home with a property tax evaluation would pay about $102 per year for this project.

Will It Pass?

Anything to do with the Law and Justice Center has left a bad taste in voter’s mouths. Will the fourth time be the charm? That’s anyone’s guess.

Some Final Thoughts

On November 1^st there will be three locations where you can get information about this project without having to sit through a formal presentation.

The events will be at the Bozeman Library, City Hall and Fire Station No. 3 from 6-7 p.m.

Representatives of the Bozeman City Commission, police department, fire department, municipal court, and city attorney’s office will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

I hope voters will take the time to be well informed on this project. Otherwise it’s just going to keep getting more and more expensive the longer we wait.