The Chronicle published an informational story about WARD last week and a deep dive into the impacts of WARD on housing earlier this week. Election Day is Nov. 4 and ballots are scheduled to be put in the mail on Oct. 17.

Bozeman voters will have the chance in the November election to decide whether most new developments should be restricted from using the city’s cash-in-lieu of water-rights program unless one-third of the units are sold or rented at below-market prices.

The Water Adequacy for Residential Development, or WARD, ballot initiative wades into the complicated world of Montana water rights and the city’s water-supply picture.

Bozeman is in a closed basin for new water rights, meaning there are no new rights to be bought. But the city can purchase existing water rights fro

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