Beartooth Elks Lodge Hosts City Council Candidate Forum
Beartooth Elks Lodge Hosts City Council Candidate Forum
Videos of each ward's candidates are presented to assist you in deciding who will earn your vote on November 5
By Denise Rivette
The Beartooth Elks Lodge #534 hosted the first of two candidate forums to provide the Carbon County community the opportunity to meet the candidates and hear what they have to say. The first forum was devoted to Red Lodge City Council candidates. Elk member Joel Todd acted as master of ceremonies and kept things interesting and running smoothly as candidates from Wards 2 and 3 answered questions and presented their visions for the next two years. All candidates were invited to participate. All the candidates in contested races participated except for Dan Horman, who is running against Terri Durbin and Anne Rood to represent Ward 2.
Todd consulted with Red Lodge Mayor Dave Westwood to craft a set of questions pertinent to the the City in general and issues that the next Council will face including the airport, short term rentals, whether the City should hire a professional manager, conflict resolution, whether to change the way the City contracts with Red Lodge Fire Rescue, and annexation of nearby developments. The candidates answered candidly and were thoughtful in their responses.
Ward 1 - Lee Stevens endorses Doug Miller
Lee Stevens exited from the race for Ward 1, enthusiastically endorsing incumbent Doug Miller to represent the ward. Watch his endorsement below.
Ward 2 - Terri Durbin and Anne Rood
Terri Durbin and Anne Rood have both served on the Council before. Terri with a two year term that ended December 31, 2023 and Anne who served from 1999 through 2004. The questions posed allowed each candidate to display their knowledge, experience and styles. The entire Ward 2 question and answer session is presented in its entirety below (approximately 38 minutes).
Ward 3 - Shinta Daniels and Max Maynard
Shinta Daniels is the incumbent for Ward 3 and has deep roots in the city. Maxwell Maynard, while relatively new to Red Lodge, has become involved with the community in many ways since moving to the city approximately eight years ago. They both are enthusiastic about Red Lodge and serving their fellow citizens. The entire Ward 3 question and answer session is presented in its entirety below (approximately 42 minutes).
In addition to the questions asked at the Elks Candidate Forum, Montana Independent News also posed questions to the candidates in writing. Dan Horman and Anne Rood did not respond to these questions, but should they respond in the future, an updated article will be posted.
MIN: What makes you the most qualified candidate for City Council?
Daniels: I'm a 4th generation Montanan and a 3rd generation Red Lodge local. I attended K-12 in the Red Lodge school district and currently have 2 teenagers who will be third generation graduates of RLHS. I have deep roots and a strong commitment to our town's future. My parents and grandparents dedicated themselves to making our community a better place, instilling in me the values of service, compassion, and civic responsibility. I’m proud to carry on their legacy. Between graduating from Red Lodge High school and returning home full time with my family, I've had the opportunity to live in various communities across the nation and around the world. These experiences have enriched my perspective and provided valuable insights into what makes a community thrive. I have an undergrad in Business Administration and a masters in Elementary Education. After the past two years of serving on the City Council and its respective subcommittees, I have gained the knowledge and confidence to continue representing ward 3 constituents, all city residents, and our downtown business community.
Durbin: I am running because have a passion to serve our community, and I believe my business/management background complements the makeup of the current administration. I am proud to be a 10 year full-time resident of Red Lodge. I served on City Council representing Ward 2 (2022-2023) and have continued to stay engaged with the city government on community concerns. I am prepared to start working with council addressing city issues on Day One. I have led grassroots volunteer efforts associated with the flood, candidate forums, and I also serve as a chief election judge. I support our local non-profits such as DSVS, ABWF, YWS, our veterans, local fire and law enforcement. I value personal connections in Red Lodge and I will continue to be available to meet with the citizens of our community and listen to your concerns. Together we can explore solutions to issues that are important to you and benefit everyone in our community.
Maynard: I grew up as a military kid, moving back and forth between the southern US and western Europe. As I came of age through my travels, I learned about different cultures and ways of life, which has equipped me with a unique perspective. Now, having spent 8 years living, working, and playing in this wonderful town, I’ve learned the true value of community and the commitment it takes to keep it great.
I believe my unique perspective would be a great asset to City Council. As a worker in both food service and childcare, I’ve learned what it takes to thrive in dynamic and challenging environments. I’ve shown myself and my peers that I can quickly learn and adapt to the challenges these jobs present. I understand working in local government has its own, inherent challenges; I look forward to meeting them head on and learning as much as I can from the other experienced folks in council.
MIN: What are the most pressing issues Red Lodge will face in the next two years?
Daniels: The most pressing issues facing Red Lodge in the next 2 years are addressing the continued growth, accessibility, improving streets and sidewalks and other infrastructure, and of course workforce housing.
Durbin: I believe key issues are the city budget and controlling growth in Red Lodge. I would like to see more clarity on the budgeting process along with increased transparency on decisions made concerning fiscal tradeoffs. We have a responsibility to present the budget in a way that the public understands how their tax dollars are spent. There should be a focus on accountability to ensure the city is run effectively and efficiently before asking for tax increases. The other important issue is growth in the city. How Red Lodge grows is critical. People want to understand plans for controlling growth in the city that promote a vibrant tourist economy, ensure an adequate infrastructure to support growth, and at same time preserve the undeniable charm and unique wilderness surroundings that the residents of Red Lodge highly value. Workforce housing is an important issue in this mix. We need to ensure we have housing for workers to ensure a vibrant community. I believe our elected officials should be leading the effort to find solutions in cooperation with the businesses and the community stakeholders.
Maynard: The most pressing issue is the shortage of affordable, long-term housing in our town. This town is in the unique position of being a genuine community filled with great locals and a tourist-driven economy. Not having ample housing hurts the community’s ability to grow and tourists who are served by a well-trained and well-compensated workforce. As a renter, I understand firsthand how hard it is to find housing in this town. We must meet the needs of the community and the travelers who enjoy our town.
MIN: Given that many Red Lodge business owners live outside the city, what would you do to make sure their concerns are being addressed?
Daniels: I love talking with our local business owners, including those that live outside the city limits, as they have a stake in the economic success and future growth of Red Lodge. Small businesses create jobs for residents of the city. Their unique perspective and knowledge of the seasonality of the Red Lodge economy gives valuable insight into our local economy. Our downtown businesses collect over 1.7million in resort tax which is funding water/sewer/stormwater/streets/parks/etc. We now collect double the amount of resort tax than property taxes.
Durbin: When I was elected to City Council in 2022, I joined the Business Alliance. This is an amazing organization that has open discussions on all issues and opportunities facing our Red Lodge businesses. Participation includes a diverse group of leaders in our community. It would be an asset to have the Alliance play a prominent role providing input on all issues related to downtown business. Strong and vibrant businesses are a critical component in a healthy city government.
Maynard: I encourage all business owners to voice their concerns freely at our City Council Regular Sessions. The council exists to serve its constituents and the businesses that have found a home in Red Lodge. My biggest priority would be making sure the best interests of business are compatible with the needs of the community; we need harmony among both to ensure the town’s success and prosperity.
MIN: What impacts do you think the Stillwater Mine layoffs will have on the City?
Daniels: I have friends who are losing their jobs, and my heart goes out to all the families affected. It’s not just 680 jobs, but 680 families that are being directly devastated. The tri-county area will be taking a big hit, but as a city we won’t know the degree of damage this will have on the economy for quite some time. As for us, it will be a trickle down effect, unfortunately for those in Stillwater and Sweetgrass counties, they are facing a more severe and immediate result.
Durbin: We expect detailed information will be available in November on the down-sizing efforts. But given the information to date, I would propose a multi-county taskforce since this will likely negatively affect the economic growth of multiple communities. This would require engaging state and congressional representatives to investigate the cause of the substantial loss in revenue and ensure there are plans in place going forward to minimize the impact on employees and local economies.
Maynard: These unfortunate layoffs threaten to displace mine employees who have found a home in Red Lodge. Local restaurants and businesses will certainly lose out on revenue. We, in the town, stand to lose members of the community.
MIN: How would you mitigate those impacts?
Daniels: However unfortunate this situation presents itself; the city of Red Lodge currently has no means to mitigate these effects. We will continue our efforts to support area economic diversification so that there are higher paying jobs for our citizens.
Durbin: See previous answer
Maynard: I would work with the council, private developers, and the community to find affordable housing solutions that benefit everybody. I believe providing flexible housing to people (particularly those presented with hard times) and doing what we can to keep them in Red Lodge is of the upmost importance. I personally know several people who had to move elsewhere because they couldn’t find housing. Ample long-term housing will help our community stay whole and our people feel more at ease.
MIN: What are your top priorities for the City during the next term?
Daniels: Some of the top priorities that I plan to continue working on are workforce housing, accessibility, sidewalks/trails and helping to implement our active transportation plan. There are several main thoroughfares that currently do not have walking paths/ and or sidewalks that directly impact pedestrian safety.
Durbin: Over the last two months I have met with a large number of people in our community to listen and learn. My top priorities will be to look for opportunities to improve communication with the public along with ways to improve dissemination of information to the community. It is important that the people that make up our community feel like they are being heard. If elected, in January I will propose a town hall meeting in Jan/Feb with the goal to establish a prioritized list of issues for the council to focus their efforts. Council would be obligated to provide updates on progress to the public each quarter. By committing to address specific areas of concern, we will be working on issues of highest priority to our community and at the same time providing accountability.
Maynard: As I’ve mentioned, finding solutions for long-term housing is high on my list. Avenues to explore here include working with private builders and realtors to incentivize long-term housing development, establishing programs to help people build housing on their property (high density is key, folks!) and instating thoughtful regulation on short-term rentals and unoccupied properties. My focus is maintaining the integrity of the community, and I believe pursuing these options would strengthen it.
I wish to further blur the line between community and government. As a younger essential worker in this town, I believe I can be an effective messenger to my demographic and get more folks involved in the civil process. My incumbency on City Council can show the next generation that we have a voice and we can USE it. Though I value and believe in the experience and perspective I have, I want to expand and challenge it by talking to as many people as possible. November 5th is Election Day - go out and exercise your right! And sure, why not - Vote for Max Maynard!
Really enjoyed the good-spirited and heartfelt debates. Small towns in America are her heart and soul.
That Max Maynard will be a fresh new voice on the City Council and a great addition to the leadership of his much loved Red Lodge.