City Council 2023: Mike Boyett - Billings Chamber of Commerce

Why do you want to be a Billings City Council member and what expertise will you bring to City Council that will help you make good policy decisions?

I want to be a Billings City council member to continue serving my hometown. There is a significant learning curve for new council members. Having been on the Council for 3+ years, I now have the expertise to be more effective. I know how to get citizens connected to staff to address their issues. I have knowledge of the city administration and operations of its departments. I have established relationships with the many organizations that work for the betterment of the city and its citizens. I am running for reelection to help finish some of the projects the City Council has started, including remodel of the new city hall and sale of the existing city hall and other properties; and the Westend Water Reservoir. I also want to further our initial efforts to establish a misdemeanor holding facility to address one element of our crime rate.

Local government issues sometimes blur conventional party lines. How do you anticipate representing your constituents and basing your policy decisions?

I am happy that City Council races are nonpartisan. I respect all constituents regardless of political party and I try to be fair to everyone. I respond to all individuals who contact me and listen to their opinions or problems and do my best to help find solutions. Even if people don’t always like my answers, most everyone is grateful that I return their phone calls or emails.

What are your top three policy priorities and why?

Public Safety – see response to Question 6 [on Public Safety].
Role of City Government Relative to Economic Development – I believe the city can promote economic development by providing infrastructure and services economically and efficiently. The forthcoming Cost of Services study will give us valuable information in that regard. I encourage the Planning and Zoning Departments to work with local developers with open minds on both sides. I also support the use of TIF districts.
Recreation, Parks, and Trails – The Sports & Recreation Center and improving our existing parks and trails are both important for Billings. However, I believe there should have been one bond issue for the Sports & Recreation Center and another bond issue for parks and trails. I am concerned that the citizens will reject the single bond due to its size. If that happens, we still need to find a way to maintain our parks and fund trails in the future.

Also, see response to Question 7 [on the Parks/Recreation/Trails bond].

What policy measures would you support to make housing more affordable and why?

To answer “why” first, affordable housing is a critical need from both humanitarian and economic perspectives.

I support the use of TIF funds, zoning rules for ADUs, potentially relaxing some requirements for multi-family properties, and sale of city-owned property, if feasible, to make housing more affordable.

I would also consider the possibility of allocating funds to affordable housing projects through a bond issue that citizens could vote for or against.

After touring the New Jackson Court, a Section 8 project, I wrote a letter of support to the Montana Board of Housing encouraging them to provide funding to GL Development for a similar Mitchell Court project.

What do you know about Billings’s Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts? How should TIF districts be used to encourage infill development?

As a council member, I am quite familiar with TIF districts. I strongly support using TIF districts for infrastructure. Streets, curbs, and gutter improvements to Orchard and Hallowell Lanes are a perfect example of the value of TIF funding to improve a blighted area, encourage infill development, and increase the property values for owners and tax base for the city.

Public Safety remains the City Council’s number one stated priority. What do you believe Billings should do to improve public safety and why?

The City is using the funds from the public safely mill levies to improve public safety. These are a few examples: The police department has added several sworn officers. Newly hired non-sworn officers now perform many of the duties previously handled by police officers. This enables sworn officers to be on the streets to combat more serious crimes. The fire department is now using mobile response units for medical calls instead of the large fire trucks. An additional judge will be elected this fall for the municipal court. Additional staff have been added to the code enforcement department. A crisis intervention unit is nearing completion currently. Funds for mental health and substance abuse have been allocated to various agencies in the 2023-24 budget.

Public safety is essential to protect our citizens from harm and safeguard their physical well-being and it is necessary for our economic and financial prosperity by sustaining existing businesses and encouraging new businesses to locate here.

City Council voted to send voters a $143 million parks and recreation bond that, if approved, would fund the construction of a Sports & Recreation Center, development of Castle Rock Park, Poly Vista Park, and many other projects. Do you support this initiative? Why or why not?

Yes, I support this initiative. I was on the committee to help develop the proposal that was submitted to the city council, and I voted for it when it came up for the vote. The Sports & Recreation Center will provide recreational opportunities for people of all ages, economic benefits for many businesses, and superior venues for sporting events for schools and possibly professional groups.

Parks are essential for recreation, socialization, health, public safety, economic development, and attracting, maintaining, and retaining a viable work force. Parks in all areas of the city will receive funds from this initiative.

The Montana Constitution requires local governments to ask voters whether they wish to review local government’s structure every 10 years; Billings voters will be asked during the 2024 election whether they wish to appoint a study commission to review the Billings City Charter. What changes to the Charter, if any, would you support and why?

I am in favor of a review of the city charter. I would like to look at the composition of the council itself, i.e., the number of council members and wards. Consider having the mayor and council members as full-time, paid positions. I am concerned that citizens are not as well-served as they should be if council members cannot devote the time necessary to address their needs, be fully prepared at council meetings, and participate in other meetings events, etc. that occur during business hours.

Do you believe that the City of Billings needs a Non-Discrimination Ordinance? Why or why not? If so, are there any specific provisions or exceptions that you would want to see in the ordinance language?

I believe the laws we currently have are adequate to protect people from discrimination.

In general, citizens’ problems are complaint-based, investigated, and resolved – maybe or maybe not to the citizen’s satisfaction. I am not aware of discrimination issues coming forth in my 3+ years on the council. This is not to say that I believe discrimination doesn’t exist in Billings. I fully expect that it does. From that perspective, I don’t see the need for a Non-Discrimination Ordinance.

Do you support the current Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessment and its use as supported by the Chamber and Visit Billings? Why or why not? (The Billings lodging industry imposes a fee on each night in an occupied room in Billings. Those fees are used to promote, market and sell the community and are managed by a 7-member board of hoteliers as required by statute. Annually, City Council adopts the budget presented by the TBID board.)

I support the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessment and the work it does to promote Billings. Without a sales tax in Montana or the ability to levy a local option tax, we need the TBID.