Bozeman groups clash over ballot initiative linking water conservation to affordable housing requirements

The Affordable Bozeman Coalition (ABC) is a group of community members that have come together to oppose another community led initiative.

"On its face, this is something that if it was presented to someone who didn’t know all the ins and outs of it—it does sound kind of good. We’re going to help water and we’re going to help housing. But ultimately that’s not what’s going to happen," says Riley Rivers.

As government affairs director for the Southwest Montana Building Industry Association (SWMBIA), and a blue-collar business owner, Rivers says, "We’re fighting for the guys who swing the hammers, the landscapers that are planting the trees like my company does. This is something that’s going to affect all of us then it’s going to trickle down to the rest of the economy."

ABC says the bal