Helena City Commission Appoints Julia Gustafson to Fill Vacancy

The Helena City Commission filled a vacant seat on Jan. 7 when commissioners voted to appoint Julia Gustafson and administered her oath of office at the conclusion of a special meeting. The vacancy opened when Emily Dean assumed the office of mayor, and the appointment follows the procedure laid out in the Helena City Charter, Article II, Section 2.01.

City staff accepted applications for the vacancy from Nov. 19 through Dec. 10, producing a pool of 17 eligible applicants. Commissioners each submitted their top candidates from that group, and the commission narrowed the field to five semifinalists who took part in public interviews on Monday, Jan. 5. From those interviews, commissioners advanced two finalists, Julia Gustafson and Benjamin Kuiper, for final interviews on Jan. 7 before selecting Gustafson.

Under the charter provision governing interim appointments, Gustafson will serve from January 2026 until the next regular city election in November 2027, at which time voters will fill the seat through the normal electoral process. The appointment is therefore a temporary measure to preserve continuity of governance while leaving the ultimate decision to the electorate at the next scheduled municipal contest.

The selection process combined a defined application window, public interviews, and deliberations by the full commission, reflecting an institutional emphasis on transparency and public scrutiny for interim appointments. For residents, the appointment restores a full commission for decision making on local budgets, land use, public safety, and other municipal matters that come before Helena’s governing body. The interim term also gives constituents and civic groups nearly two years to evaluate Gustafson’s performance before voting on the seat in 2027.

The commission’s handling of the vacancy underscores the role of charter rules in balancing administrative continuity with democratic accountability. Voters who want information about the appointment process, future filings for the 2027 election, or other commission business can contact the Clerk of the Commission, Dannai Clayborn, at 406-447-8409 or dmclayborn@helenamt.gov.