Published on January 07, 2026
HELENA, Mont. – The Helena City Commission voted at a special meeting today to appoint Julia Gustafson to fill the commission vacancy created when Emily Dean assumed the office of mayor. The meeting concluded with Gustafson taking the oath of office.
The commission accepted applications from Nov. 19 to Dec. 10, yielding 17 eligible applicants. From that pool, each commissioner submitted top candidates, and five semifinalists advanced to public interviews Monday, Jan. 5. The commission then voted to advance two finalists — Julia Gustafson and Benjamin Kuiper — for final interviews Wednesday, Jan. 7.
Pursuant to the Helena City Charter, Article II, Section 2.01, the appointed commissioner will serve from January 2026 until the next regular city election in November 2027, at which time the vacancy will be filled through the election process.
For more information, please contact Clerk of the Commission, Dannai Clayborn 406-447-8409, or dmclayborn@helenamt.gov.
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