Aug. 27—Kalispell mayoral and City Council candidates who attended a forum Tuesday all expressed interest in implementing some form of a local-option sales tax.
The proposal was part of a wide-ranging discussion that included topics such as growth, downtown revitalization and constituent communication. The event was hosted by the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce at the Red Lion Hotel, with Erica Wirtala of the Northwest Montana Realtors Association serving as moderator.
Mayor candidates Ryan Hunter and Sid Daoud, who are currently on the City Council, and Kisa Davison all participated in the forum.
Councilor candidates Wes Walker (Ward 1), Lisa Blank (Ward 2), Kyle Waterman (Ward 3) and Bruce Guthrie (Ward 4) also participated. Councilors Jed Fisher (Ward 4) and Sandy Carlson (Ward 1) are running for reelection but did not participate, nor did candidate Wes Gardner (Ward 3). Ward 3 candidate Kyle Voigtlander attended, but said miscommunication kept him from participating since he did not receive the questions in advance.
When asked whether they would lobby the state Legislature for a local option-sales tax to reduce property taxes and support local infrastructure, Daoud and Davison both said they would approve of one, but not to increase the city’s revenue.
“I am not in favor of adding a new bucket of cash for us to just throw around. Spending matters,” Davison said. “If we can have a revenue neutral approach, I’m in.”
Daoud said he would support a sales tax as a means of reducing property taxes for residents.
“We want [tourists] to come here and spend their money, but they also use our infrastructure, and that wear and tear is something that they should be part of,” he said.
Hunter said he would only support a tourist-focused sales tax because a general sales-tax disproportionately affects lower-income residents.
“A lot of the discussion I’ve heard at Council is that we should have a sales tax to replace property tax. I’m totally opposed to that, because it shifts that burden from wealthier folks to poorer folks,” he said.
He proposed targeting high-end restaurants and hotels.
Every councilor candidate also opposed a general sales tax but supported one targeted at tourists.
“It’d have to be very, very well designed and focused to take as much burden off of the local population as possible,” Ward 4 candidate Guthrie said.
Ward 3 candidate Waterman floated the idea of a sales tax that residents with a Montana driver’s license could opt out of.
“And I would also say, what are we going to do with those funds that we’re collecting? Are we going to land bank so that we can address affordable housing?” Ward 2 candidate Blank asked.
Candidates also provided insight into the role the City Council should play in revitalizing downtown.
Daoud said he wanted to upgrade Main Street’s water and sewer infrastructure to support residential development above the stores.
“People that live downtown, shop and frequent the restaurants down there,” he said.
“We had the opportunity to replace the infrastructure that Mr. Daoud was speaking about with the Main Street Safety Action Plan,” responded Hunter.
Daoud was part of the majority who voted in June against pursuing a federal grant to reconfigure Main Street, a plan that had been in the works since 2017 and was intended to minimize vehicle crashes downtown. Daoud said he was originally a supporter of the plan, but surmounting opposition changed his mind.
“I had to vote the will of the people instead of what I thought was better for Kalispell,” Daoud said.
Hunter was in the minority who supported funding the plan.
Davison was a proponent for Main Street’s revamp and said Tuesday that revitalizing downtown would benefit the entire community, not just tourists.
“We have to invest in and allow for the private sector to build up the community that we all are looking for, that we all need,” she said.
All Council candidates agreed that downtown must be invested in.
“I kind of think that we’re unfortunately already a little bit there where the downtown is more of a through-way than a destination as it is,” Ward 1 candidate Walker said. “We need to redesign it. We need to make it safe.”
Waterman, who has a business downtown, said the city should not rely on a single street safety grant to revamp Main Street.
“I believe that some of that investment needs to come in through philanthropy and other preservation grants,” he said.
“Our downtown is a living museum,” added Guthrie. “I would love to see the bypass become Route 93 and our downtown become historic Main Street Kalispell.”
CITING THE Flathead Warming Center’s recent lawsuit with Kalispell, Wirtala asked candidates how they would approach contentious issues.
Daoud said that taking emotion out of the equation was important.
“The Warming Center issue was a property rights issue,” he said.
The high volume of complaints about the low-barrier homeless shelter negatively affecting the neighborhood prompted Council to look at its conditional use permit.
“It was slow. It was plotting. Just how government is supposed to be,” Daoud said.
Daoud was part of the majority vote to revoke the Warming Center’s permit, which landed the city in a federal lawsuit with the shelter that ultimately ended in the city paying $140,000 in legal fees incurred by the shelter and having to issue a public apology to the shelter’s director, Tonya Horn, for falsely accusing her of lying during the permit application process.
“I opposed challenging the conditional use permit,” Hunter said. “I said it would result in a worse situation with people on the streets. It would result in loss of life, potentially, and it was likely illegal, which proved correct with the preliminary injunction in court.”
All mayoral candidates agreed that the city can more effectively communicate with Kalispell residents.
Daoud said he would hold monthly town halls with the future city manager, “so we can give you a rundown of what’s going on in Council” and have two-way dialogue, unlike public comment at Council meetings.
Davison said communication was one of the most important things that needs to change in the city.
“When people don’t feel heard, or they misunderstand, trust starts to break down,” she said.
Blank also said that there should be more education on how constituents can get involved in their local government.
Many candidates also shared the feeling that responsible growth comes from infill development and building densely rather than out.
“I do appreciate that there is consensus about the importance of infill development and more compact, efficient development,” Hunter said.
The Kalispell Chamber’s board of directors formed a candidate endorsement council which will endorse the mayor and Council candidates it feels best represents the needs of the business community. The endorsements will be announced Sept. 3.
Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.
Sid Daoud answers a question with fellow Kalispell mayoral candidates Ryan Hunter, left, and Kisa Davison at the mayoral candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Ryan Hunter answers a question with fellow Kalispell mayoral candidates Sid Daoud, center, and Kisa Davison at the mayoral candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lisa Blank answers a question with fellow Kalispell City Council candidates, from left, Kyle Waterman, Wes Walker and Bruce Guthrie at the city council candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kyle Waterman answers a question with fellow Kalispell City Council candidates Lisa Blank, Wes Walker and Bruce Guthrie at the city council candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell mayoral candidate Sid Daoud answers a question during a mayoral candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell mayoral candidate Ryan Hunter answers a question during a mayoral candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell mayoral candidate Kisa Davison answers a question during a mayoral candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell City Council candidate Lisa Blank answers a question during a city council candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell City Council candidate Kyle Waterman answers a question during a city council candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Kalispell City Council candidate Bruce Guthrie answers a question during a city council candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell City Council candidate Wes Walker answers a question during a city council candidate forum at Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider