Campbell Proposes Officials' Business Disclosure Rules
Missoula Ward 5 Councilor Bob Campbell seeks city code changes requiring elected officials to disclose business interests.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in City Hall
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Missoula City Council Ward 5 Councilor Bob Campbell has requested a city code change requiring elected officials to disclose current and past employment, assets, and interests in other organizations. The council currently has no overarching disclosure guidelines.
Why it matters
Campbell said his interest grew after he disclosed a potential conflict of interest involving a subdivision near his home in 2025, a project he later voted to approve. The proposal would give Missoula residents public access to officials' financial ties on the city's website.
The proposal sets a 5-day deadline for initial disclosure forms and a 5-day deadline for updates, modeled on a Montana state requirement in effect since the 1980s. Whether the council will adopt the measure has not been determined.
The players
Bob Campbell
Campbell is the Ward 5 Councilor on the Missoula City Council who proposed the disclosure requirements after navigating a conflict of interest involving a South Hills subdivision.
Missoula City Council
The Missoula City Council is the governing legislative body of Montana's second-largest city and currently operates without overarching disclosure guidelines for its members.
The details
The proposal would require current and past employment, assets, and organizational interests to be filed on a business statement disclosure form. If an elected official fails to submit the document, the city clerk would post a statement naming that person as noncompliant.
Timeline
2025: Campbell disclosed a conflict over a subdivision near his home and voted to approve it.
Nov. 16, 2026: The council holds its next scheduled meeting.
Nov. 17, 2026: The Committee of the Whole will discuss the disclosure proposal.
Political Context
Montana has required business disclosure from elected officials and top employees since the 1980s, and the cities of Great Falls and Bozeman have adopted similar municipal requirements. Critics and supporters will likely weigh whether a local rule adds needed transparency or imposes new administrative burdens on council members.
If adopted, elected officials in Missoula would have to file disclosure forms within five days of taking office and update them within five days of new reported activity. Residents could review those filings on the city's website, and the clerk would publicly flag any official who fails to file.
The takeaway
Residents interested in local ethics rules can track the Committee of the Whole discussion and review any adopted disclosure filings once they are posted publicly. Watching how officials handle conflicts of interest is one practical way to stay informed about city decisions that affect neighborhoods.
What happens next
The Missoula City Council Committee of the Whole will discuss the disclosure proposal on Nov. 17, 2026, the next step toward a possible vote later this month.
Further reading
For more on how local officials are held accountable, browse City Hall coverage for Missoula.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Missoulian.
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