By Daniel Bierschwale EBS COLUMNIST
In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This quote has resonated with me over the past two years while writing this series of columns intended to encourage civic engagement. This will be our last Big Sky Way column for a little while, but the conversation is far from over. In fact, we’re in the thick of it.
We’re not just dreaming of a better Big Sky—we’re actively doing the hard work to get there. Our community has never waited for someone else to solve our challenges. Instead, we’ve broke our own trail with grit, resilience and collaboration. However, a community is only as strong as the people who make up its very DNA. It’s the actions, the voices and the commitment of each individual that shapes our character and potential.
Over the course of this column, we’ve explored many topics ranging from how property taxes work in Montana, ways Resort Tax provides property tax relief by funding essential services, and how our Capital Improvement Plan prioritizes infrastructure before it becomes a crisis. We’ve talked about long-term thinking to simple nuts and bolts of how things work. We’ve asked tough questions about who’s responsible—and the answer, time and again, is: we are.
As we study local governance with open eyes, we explore what kind of local structure could best serve our unique community. We’re preparing in May to vote to potentially issue bonds for major capital projects—investments that will serve generations—and we work to to ensure financial responsibility is matched with transparency. We’re working with partners across the state to shape legislation that better reflects today’s landscape and the realities of resort communities like ours. This isn’t abstract work. It’s boots-on-the-ground, policy-in-the-weeds, future-focused action.
That sense of ownership, of community-driven action, is what makes Big Sky what it is. Because the truth is, no one is coming to do this work for us.
Big Sky has always had to figure it out for ourselves. We’ve built a strong foundation of collaboration, but the next chapter needs more voices. It needs yours. You don’t need to be an expert to get involved. You just need to care. You can vote. You can show up to a meeting and provide public comment. You can join a board, attend a workshop, talk to your neighbors. You can ask questions—and you should.
We’re entering a chapter in Big Sky’s story where the stakes are high and the opportunities are real. We’re not just reacting anymore—we’re planning, funding and shaping our future. But to get this right, it takes all of us leaning in.
I’ll still be here. And I’ll still write from time to time when there’s something important to share or a trail that needs grooming. But for now, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. And most of all, thank you for continuing to show up for your community, for your neighbors, and for the Big Sky where we all can belong and call home—a Livable Big Sky.
That’s the Big Sky Way.
Daniel Bierschwale is the Executive Director of the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD). As a dedicated public servant, he is committed to increasing civic engagement and voter education. Many ballot issues impact government services and public funding including subsequent property tax impacts. BSRAD is the local government agency that administers Resort Tax, which offsets property taxes while also funding numerous community-wide nonprofit programs.
