County Commissioner 2020 Darryl Wilson Answers

Our community needs someone with vision, both short-time and long-term for future generations.  I love our community’s people, culture and diversity.  Our community needs a unified voice.  I can be that voice.  As a Billings native, I understand our City’s history; where it has come from, how it has grown, and where we need to go take it in order to benefit its residents.  Both professionally and through active volunteerism, I have been able to participate in projects that enhance our community now and for future generations.  During my 20 years developing and managing railroad properties, I collaborated with the City of Great Falls for the waterfront development known as Broadwater Bay.  I worked with the City of Billings to extend water and sewer to a vacant 40-acre vacant parcel on Monad and Lampman, which is now fully developed. Finally, I had the opportunity to work with the Yellowstone Art Center in getting them the railroad property they needed to expand, as we see it today.

First, we need community emphasis on “smart growth”; attract and support new business to support the workforce of an up-and-coming generation.

Second, the number one policy must be to reduce government.  Our community needs to combine City and County Services, Parks Department, Engineering, Public Works, Police and Sheriff, Administration, etc.  I recommend freezing all elected officials’ wages for the next 5 years and give that savings to lowest-tiered community employees; combine our two court systems into one; and encourage early retirement to open up opportunities to the next generation.  Implementing these policy changes will require a lot of work and ideas from everyone in our community, including the smaller outlying towns where we can hopefully offer more services to them.  Combining these City and County Services will save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the years.  These savings can be reinvested back into our community.

We must consider a local option tax for luxury items. Then our community could freeze residential property taxes at the current level.  This additional revenue would be used for safety, schools, infrastructure, parks and to set aside in a reserve fund similar to the coal tax fund. This reserve fund would help in bonding projects elected by the community, which provides stability for future generations.

Also, no more tax breaks for businesses or industries.  They should want to re-invest because they are a part of the community, and their taxes help pay for community services.

I see myself more as a trustee to our community because to accomplish the changes need, there needs to be some type of autonomy.  We must all work together.  I am proposing major changes, and I know there will be push back from City and County administration and or management who will want to protect the “traditional way of doing things”.

My experience with bi-partisan, policy-making decisions is as a right-of-agent for MDOT negotiating hundreds of agreements for BNRR, Glacier Park Company, and Trillium Corporation.  I needed creative solutions to complete transactions involving environmentally contaminated properties, land tenants, and state and federal agencies.  These situations required patience and compromise by all parties.

MetraPark should be run as a for-profit business.  In good business mode, MetraPark could offer discounted rates for public events.  It is my opinion MetraPark has been underdeveloped and underutilized for years.  MetraPark needs to negotiate more entertainment; a variety for all ages and genres.  The County is considering tearing down the grandstand and old horse barns—the grounds do need to be cleaned up.  MetraPark needs a business plan and should hire a private investment firm to manage the events.  MetraPark needs to look at surrounding properties to encourage more people-friendly business, i.e., hotels, motels, restaurants, microbreweries, and consider joint development opportunities.

Drugs and alcohol are generally the root cause for offenders in our jail system.  It is time to seriously address this issue through education, counseling, and support services.  I propose a 5% tax on all alcohol to help pay for the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse, which often leads to homelessness.  The struggle of managing mental illness also inadvertently lead to homelessness.  This tax would only apply to Yellowstone County.  Our community has the medical expertise to address these issues. This tax would allow our community to apply for other matching grants in supporting these types of services.  It is a proven fact that helping people with these needs are less expensive to our community in the long term and, besides, are we not compassionate people?  Another benefit from this tax would be a reduction in overcrowding of our jails as we would have the funds to encouraging developing housing programs to benefit these individuals in need of a home.  Our community has many vacant buildings with space for group homes or educational services. I foresee getting our trades involved in helping to train this new workforce.

The Lockwood TEDD may not be a boom to industrial manufacturing.  The biggest problem right now is not enough land and the lots are too small to attract large companies.  Also, costs are too prohibitive.  I was involved in developing the Cheyenne Industrial Center in Fargo, North Dakota.  We started with 600 acres of rail-served land and created a special improvement district whereas Trillium Corporation did not have to pay back the special assessments for at least 5 years after completion.  The largest lot was approximately 20 acres, and this industrial area was completely sold out within 5 years because we had a great project with reasonable land costs at about $40,000 per acre.  The biggest problem was the lack of trained workers.  I would support the Lockwood TEDD because at this point it is too far along to pull the plug.  The community needs to look at joint partnership with developers in providing the infrastructure and creating larger industrial parks.

Our community and state will face reduced revenues, and it will last for several years.  All agencies must be required to immediately reduce spending, encourage early retirements, and maybe delay some projects.  Also, elected officials’ wages should be frozen and only offer a minimum cost of living increase to upper-tired employees.  For example, any employee making over $50,000 will get a 1% wage increase, and employees making less will get a 2% wage increase.  Our commitment to prioritize funding must be for health, education, safety, and maintaining infrastructure, but these agencies must also reduce costs.  City, county and state legislators must become a united front to demand more money from Helena to pay for our services.  It is wrong that we get to little back for all the revenue our community generates for the State.

I understand the HUB supports our community members with mental illness, and all of our health care agencies have experienced funding shortages.  These funding shortages can be supplemented through my proposed 5% tax on alcohol.   I have experienced mental illness in my own family and understand personally why no one wants to talk about this issue—they are our forgotten.  I do not know enough about all the services the HUB provides and what their needs are, but would look forward to working with them in discussing long term goals and needs as a County Commissioner.