Born: Newark, DE
Age: 37
Residency: Great Falls, MT
Occupation: Project Manager, Morris Land Surveys, PLLC
Education: Charles M Russell High School, 2005. Montana State University - Bozeman, BA Political Science, International Relations Focus, 2013
I have experience advocating for legislation, as well as familiarity with local government processes and structures, engaging with jurisdictions primarily across North Central Montana and other parts of Montana, including Idaho and Wyoming.
I consider the housing crunch to be one of the most important issues facing ordinary Montanans, directly impacting costs of living and economic growth and prosperity. To that end, I would like to reform the Montana Subdivision and Platting Act and advocate for practical and effective enabling statute that will reduce time and costs for new housing development. I also see a failure of the State to provide adequate resources for mental health, and I would like to advocate for the establishment of modern mental health facilities utilizing a portion of the State's budget surplus. Health care in general needs work, and the legislature owes it to citizens to take it seriously and improve the system.
I would like to see a reassessment of the property tax structure that favors residential land owners. The legislature failed to address the changes in the real estate market in the last session, creating a situation in which residential taxable revenue has gone up more rapidly than other sectors. I would like to advocate for a Land Value Tax structure in urban areas that would facilitate infill and development of vacant parcels. I would like to avoid increasing tax assessments on true agricultural grounds as much as possible, and reassess how Ag exemptions for parcels under 20 acres are handled. However, I think value-added agricultural commodities should be treated as other commercial producers.
I believe that as a matter of public health and safety, the State should take a more active role in the provision of mental and physical health services. I would like to see funds directed to preventative care resources, and modern facilities in areas with the infrastructure to support adequate staffing dedicated to mental health care. Warm Spring's mission is admirable, but that facility alone is insufficient to deal with the issues currently facing our State.
As someone whose spouse was an educator, and left due to a lack of adequate resources, I will stand by the validity of the first part of this statement. I am skeptical of any proposal that diverts public funding to private institutions, and I want to advocate for adequate funding of PUBLIC education at all levels, including vocational re-training programs. I believe revenue that was intended to be directed to the public school system has been chipped away at over the years and the current level of funding is inadequate, as evidenced by the relatively low rate of teacher pay compared to other States. I think any proposal must consider impacts to rural schools with limited resources, and must set them up for success as well as urban centers.
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