MISSOULA — Andrea Davis, a lifelong Montanan and University of Montana graduate, says she found her career and home in Missoula and has decided to run for the mayor’s office to address the concerns of the community.
“I'm a lifelong Montanan and I have made Missoula my home for 25 years. For 22 of those years, I have been in the housing sector. I have built homes that Montanans can afford. And 15 of those years, I've been the executive director of Homeward. Homeward is headquartered here in Missoula and we build homes that Missoulians and Montanans can afford. We now have properties in 14 Montana communities. And then here in Missoula, we're a housing counseling agency. So we teach first-time home buyer education and financial skill building. A little bit about me is I live in central Missoula. And my husband and my dog Luca — we love to get out and love to take advantage of all the things that Missoula has to offer in terms of boating and biking and hiking and skiing and dinner with good friends. And I'm...lucky enough to have a garden and grow a garden and enjoy the arts and culture of this community. So like many [in] Missoula, I love both the culture and what this community has to offer in in proximity to our beautiful environment,” Davis said.
Davis says she wants to bring a different type of leadership to the city of Missoula to continue to create a community in which people can thrive in and live in.
“I'm running for mayor because I love this place...we're proud of our community. And I have dedicated my career to addressing the cost of living and the quality of life for Missoula and Montanans. And like many Missoulians, I'm concerned about people that are working here and that are creating here and that are learning here and that are retiring here that are not able to afford to live here. And I want to continue to take my expertise and the relationships that I have built — both here in this community and around the state — and my positive leadership and really help Missoula move forward to create a community and make sure we're still a place that we can thrive, that people can thrive here and not just survive. And we are at a time in Missoula — we truly are at a turning point where we are going to need to make some really serious decisions and tradeoffs for how we'll make sure our younger generations can both call this place home as well as folks that have lived here for a long time,” Davis said.
Davis says Missoula has an opportunity to tackle some of the issues that the state and country are facing, as well as the issues that the city is facing.
“And I really think there are some really amazing opportunities that we have in front of us in terms of addressing both our built environment — how we are making sure that people can continue to afford their property taxes. We've got a lot of work in that in that field. But we were just talking earlier about 2023 being the hottest year on record. And municipalities and local governments have some of the best opportunities to actually take action in this space. And I'm excited to help Missoula move forward in that respect because we have a lot of amazing minds and dedicated people in this community. And the mayor is not the person that's going to have all the answers. The mayor is really going to be the person that helps bring all of the voices of Missoula together and find some creative and unique solutions to some very big, big challenges that we have in front of us. And so that's why I'm running."
Davis says that her favorite thing about Missoula is the community that she is hoping to serve.
“My favorite thing about Missoula are the people. We have an amazing culture here and there are everything from — the funky shops that we have both downtown and all around the community. And then the things that our community has done over many years to make Missoula such an inviting and beautiful place to be. We're sitting in Rose Park. It is a tremendous place to just walk around and appreciate, of course, folks that have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms that we enjoy today. And there are all sorts of different pockets of Missoula that the people here have created. And I would...say that it's truly the people that make...Missoula what it is. I could keep going on some of the things that I love about this community. Quite frankly, we've got great food, we've got great music...I love to be able to bike around town. So, there are just things that our community offers that is quite unique."
Davis says her top goal as mayor would be to protect the things that people hold dear and keep residents in Missoula.
“My number one goal will be to make sure Missoula continues to be a place that all sorts of people can call home and that not only people that have lived here for a long time but folks that want to move here and create a life here have the opportunity to do. So...another significant goal for me as mayor is to make our local government feel accessible. There's been a challenge in the last several years — I think about both locally but at the state level and federal level of people trusting government. And the government is you and it's elected officials. It's people that are especially local government. It's everyday people that are serving in these roles. I want to help establish a greater relationship through everyday people and citizen engagement so that, like I said, we can put some solutions together and that people's voices aren't left behind, but that they're included in where we're going together."
There are a number of issues facing Missoula, but there is one topic that Davis wants to focus on more than others because, to her, it is the top issue that is facing Missoula.
“The number one issue that's facing Missoula today is the ability for everyday people to afford to live here. And that is why so many people are excited about why I am running for the mayor, because I have real-world experience. Not only creating policy that helps build...homes that are affordable, but I've built the projects and actually completed them and folks are living in them now. And that includes both rental and homeownership opportunities. Missoula is at a place where we are needing to address the way in which the private market can also respond to more home options — rental and homeownership. And we're going to need to put some serious interventions in place that our neighbors to the south. Let's just say Colorado and the tourist communities there. Where we need to figure out ways that our teachers and folks that are — firefighters and police and people in the healthcare sector, people that are delivering journalism, news — that people can afford to live here. And we know we have a serious issue with people that are living unsheltered and that are facing homelessness or are already homeless. And that, of course, is the whole continuum of the issue of home affordability. And there are a lot of good ideas out there. Ad I'm excited to help spark that — to help continue the good work that we've been doing. Right now for Missoula, this is the number one issue that we're facing. And I'm excited to bring my expertise and relationships and leadership to the table."
Homelessness is one of the top issues that Missoula is facing. Davis says that she would also want to focus on mid-term and longer-term solutions while also creating a short-term solution.
“As mayor, I would work not only with city staff and City Council, but also a host of engaged and involved citizens to open up greater dialogue. What I see talking to my neighbors, talking with business owners — and when I knock [on] doors is that it feels like people's understanding of the issue is growing. And at the same time, they want to know earlier what solutions are available and then that their concerns are heard and that they're being addressed. The city and the county, the local government cannot solve this on its own. And yet we are in a position to help be the convenor and lead solutions forward. And there are a lot of people that want to see good outcomes for people that are facing the situation. It is incumbent upon us to make sure that we are addressing public safety. And that we are providing opportunities for people that are less fortunate that have fallen on hard times — when their public safety is also paramount to this. And so I recognize that we need short mid- and long-term solutions. The Johnson Street facility has funding for one year and that year will go by quickly,” Davis said.
Davis says that she would also want to work with other partners in the community to solve the problem and work to create stability for those who are experiencing homelessness.
“And so we need to make it a priority at the city government level to be working with our private sector partners to be figuring out a solution going forward. It's needing to both address a location for a 24-hour emergency shelter and then also what some longer-term plans will be. The Temporary Safe Outdoor Space is a good example of another solution that works. It is not meant to be permanent homes. The idea there is that folks have an opportunity to stabilize, get connected with different services and resources — including job training — and then connected with different opportunities for affordable rental homes. Clearly, that's part of it is making sure that we have affordable rental options in the community. And that's going to take both the public and the private sector to address that issue. The number one underlying cause, and challenge with the rise in homelessness is, is a sudden, lack of affordable homes and then a sudden issue that triggers somebody to live in their car...and we want to be able to do is ideally keep people housing stable,” Davis continued.
Davis says that she would also want to work with the housing sector or avoid those who are on the verge of being homeless from being homeless.
“We really want to try to avoid anybody becoming homeless to begin with, and that will take interventions on all of our part. And we see that already there is some rental, there's some housing stability funds in our community that helps people stay in their rentals. And there are a lot of community members that want to keep their rents affordable for people. They don't want to see their longtime renters move. And unfortunately, sometimes it's because the house sold or the apartment building sold, and the new purchase price requires higher rents that folks living there can't afford. And so making sure that we are — the city is helping facilitate a really solid system that people are not falling through the cracks. There are opportunities for us as elected officials, people serving in City Council, as well as the mayor — to be advocates at the federal and state level. Making sure that we are getting the resources and the tools that we need locally too."
The city of Missoula will no longer have federal funding for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) next year and the budget will be tighter. Davis says she would want to come up with creative solutions to issues where funding may no longer be available, and create a priority-based budget.
“I think that is something for all of us to be very concerned about. Some of those things that the Federal COVID, ARPA dollars had paid for include the Johnson Street center and facility. There's two things that we'll need to do. We'll need to take a look at the city budget and expenditures across every department and see where we can tighten up and save on some dollars. We will need to get creative with our private sector partners, people that want to help in this space — especially around homelessness, and the Johnson Street facility in particular, to see if there are folks willing to bring some resources to the table to again work in sort of a short term way. Unfortunately, it's going to — we're going to have to be thinking about how we're going to be addressing this in the next year after. And while we figure out how we are basically plugging some holes...the city has been able to achieve some very necessary demands and needs locally on one-time only money. And I believe that it is incumbent upon us to be having early conversations about what these deficits mean and inviting other citizens and people to the table to figure out how we are going to solve for some of these. We may need to apply for federal grant dollars to supplement for some of the things in the short term. Again, addressing emergency shelter needs until we can figure out a long-term solution for Missoula,” Davis said.
Taxes are another issue that is facing Missoula residents. Taxes rose this last budget year, and Davis says that she would want to shift taxes to other classifications to provide relief for residents.
“I think it's something important for your viewers to know is that even if the city or the county did not raise any of its own budget, your taxes as a property owner would go up anyway. And that is because of the way that the state has — basically the tax shift that's happening with residential property tax owners absorbing the majority of the increase of property tax valuation because our property taxes are reappraised every two years according to state law. And there are 16 tax classifications in the state of Montana. And the Constitution of the State of Montana allows the legislature to turn the knobs on those different class rates. And in years past, when we had such an accelerated appreciation of residential properties, the legislature made sure they turned down the heat on residential property owners and renters alike. Renters end up, of course, paying for these increases and they did not do that this year. So one thing that's important for the viewers to know is that the tax shift from other property tax classifications in the state is being shifted to residential property taxpayers,” Davis said.
Davis also says that she would want to closely manage the budget to relieve the residents of Missoulians.
“So that means that local government and schools — even if we did not increase our budgets, the county would be collecting more taxes from property owners and renters. But property owners — and the majority of those are going to the state and offsetting other tax classes. So as a local government, we need to be doing two things. We need to be finding ways in which we can manage our budgets and expenditures as closely as possible. We have to be taking a hard look at what we are spending money on. And we need to just like any business and any household — make necessary cuts because we're at a point where the current system is really impacting everyday Missoulians and their ability to afford. So we need to be doing two things at the same time, we need to be closely managing our budget and finding ways that we're going to relieve impact to Missoulians paying property taxes and we need to be working on the long view of a statewide relief and tax reform,” Davis continued.
Davis says that she would also want to find solutions in the meantime while the tax structure remains the same in Montana.
“So the mayor is in a position that we need to be doing both things. The other thing that is very important for the mayor, and also City council — but this is an opportunity for us to be working with our neighborhood councils as well is to make sure that we really understand what is happening. This conversation about where we are with local expenditures — demand and need versus what resources we have. And then the overall tax structure in Montana. We have never seen so much attention on this and rightfully so. And we need to continue to have this conversation at the forefront. So we are making it so we can actually afford to live here through, not only our property tax system but the entire tax structure in Montana. That said we need to manage our budget really closely and our expenditures really closely, that might mean some trade-offs until we see a different system here,” said Davis.
Neighborhood councils are an important part of local government. Davis says that she would want to work with the councils to hear their concerns and create opportunities to work with them.
“When I have been knocking on doors during this election, I've heard from people that are serving in their neighborhood councils. And one of the things that was said to me — that was really powerful — is that we've gotten to a point in our community where concerned citizens serving in this capacity want to help really significant issues, right? Another garbage can or something, some street lighting. Yes, that's important to them, but they're more concerned about their neighbors down the road, being able to afford their home and being able to afford food and being able to make sure their kids are safe in school. And so I would like to work one one-on-one with City Council — with the neighborhood councils — to hear from them about what they see is opportunities where they can help connect with community members and really help be a conduit for citizen engagement with municipal government. And then while they do get a very small budget, it's not a lot,” Davis said.
Davis added that she wants to help motivate neighbors to be involved in their neighborhood councils and bring opportunities and ideas to the tables of local government.
“I don't know that we've got room in the city budget right now. It'll be great to get in there and see if there's ways that we can help the neighborhood councils potentially with some other tools and resources. Because they know their neighborhoods and they know they know their neighbors. I really want to continue to help empower neighborhood councils to be an active part of our government because they are a structural part of Missoula's city government. And we have so much interest out there amongst citizens to be engaged. And I want to help motivate people. I want to listen to people. I want to collaborate with neighborhood councils and citizens in Missoula to bring good ideas to the table and see how we're making it."
This will be the first election that the former Mayor John Engen will not be a part of after he passed away in office. Davis says she wants to bring a new leadership style and perspective to the mayor's office.
“I think that a lot of long-time Missoulians realize that nobody is going to fill the shoes of John. And he was somebody that was really an incredible person. And I would step into this administration with a fresh perspective. I would step in ready to support the dedicated and expert staff that we have who have been working really hard to continue to make Missoula a wonderful place for the rest of us. And I am very interested in...I have taken positive leadership at my organization that I work for now, and bringing that into the mayor's office to really create a culture of strong customer service to our constituents. Our constituents are our customers, and the city has gone through a growth spurt during a pandemic. Also, some other challenging times when for example, people can openly carry weapons. And that's why we see some of the things we do at local government — where there's now security to come into City Council that might not change, right? We need to make sure that people are safe in our public buildings. But I really want to make local government accessible and really motivate and encourage engagement with citizens and our local government. And so I'm looking forward to helping elevate these tough issues being really transparent about these issues in ways that people understand the decision making that is happening and understanding how they can influence that decision making,” Davis said.
When it comes to working with City Council members, Davis says she would want to work with differing opinions and views to find a common ground to work together and be transparent.
“I hope that we have topics we don't agree on. I think that having different perspectives on issues is really important and it is something that our constituents expect to see as well. So I don't expect to agree with everybody. And one of the things that I would say to both Council — as well as the public in general — is that we might not agree on everything, but I'll always be truthful and transparent about what it is in terms of decisions that I make as mayor and that I want to bring civility back to government. I want to bring trust back to government because it is something that is absolutely necessary in order to people in order for people to engage with democracy. Something I heard yesterday was that democracy does not exist in the dark, it exists in the light, where we are engaged and local government and municipal government, we have access to democracy in ways that is right there at our fingertips. So in working with City Council that we, we may not agree,” Davis said.
Davis says she also wants to work together to carry out the policies that the city is creating.
“I invite that because I invite all voices to the table all perspectives. When we work things out like that — when we mash through hard decisions and we bring different perspectives on the table — we get a better outcome. And that is something that people are hungry for. It's something that people are yearning for. That is why so many people have supported me. Because the fresh perspective that I will bring to this office is something that people are really excited for here in Missoula. And so I do believe that working with Council — that may have other ideas — it's just fine. We will find a way to talk about ideas openly during those public meetings so members of the public have an opportunity to hear dialogue and also be part of those conversations. And then in ways that I'm also making sure that as the administrator and the executive of the city — making sure that the staff have what they need in terms of resources and time. That includes time to do the work that's necessary to carry out the policies that are made by City Council."
Davis says that in her first 100 days she would want to spend time getting to know the city staff and start working on the budget for 2024.
"My first 100 days will be spent with the city employees...the city is a big organization and I want to get to know the people that are working for this fine city. And so I will be spending time with the staff and then I'll be spending time with City Council as well. I do know that there will be some big topics coming up in January, and I see myself getting to know the folks that work for this city — and City Council, in a way that we are developing relationships and how we want to work together moving forward. There will be another budget year just right around the corner. And I think that it is our opportunity early in 2024 to be wrestling with these questions that you just asked: how are we going to make some hard decisions? And six months will go fast. By the time our new budget is ready for debate and approval...I want to see how we can be as transparent as possible — being transparent with the community about the priorities for the city, the priorities for each department and the decisions we'll make for, our next budget. And again, providing...hopefully providing relief is what I'm hoping for our citizens of the community. But first 100 days, really excited to get to know the job, get to know the people working for the city and folks serving in City Council. And how will, how together we're going to serve the citizens of Missoula the best that we."
When asked if there was anything else that she would like the voters to know, Davis said that she wants to have fun while in office while also enjoying life if she's elected mayor.
“The last thing that I will conclude with is that I like having fun. And I think that that's an important part of being the mayor. I think it's important to make sure that life is short and we have a lot of hard work that we're going to be working on together. But let's not forget to enjoy time with our family and our friends to laugh, and to have a little fun and that is something that I'm going to bring to the mayor's office."
Missoula's election takes place on November 7, 2023.
