Commission approves changing Animal Services title from 'manager' to 'director' (section 7.07)

The Silver Bow County study commission voted Jan. 5 to revise section 7.07 of the county charter to replace the word "manager" with "director" for Animal Services. Cindy Dolan said she had spoken with Lynette Hogarth, who agreed with the title change and "does all the work of a directorship" despite being paid as a manager.

Dan Dennehy suggested a supplemental report to the council and chief executive to let those officials evaluate whether certain departments (such as the Civic Center or Animal Services) should be elevated to directorships, reflecting operational reality. Several commissioners agreed the change would formalize existing responsibilities and could have fiscal implications.

Mary McCormick moved to revise section 7.07 as recommended by the working group to replace 'manager' with 'director.' The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. The chair indicated the change will be included in the preliminary report and reviewed as part of the commission’s ongoing work.