Candidate wants to provide younger voice

Katie Williams wants to bring a younger voice to the Whitefish City Council and be a representative for everyone if she is elected.  

Williams, 27, is the manager of The Draught House at Great Northern Brewing Co.

This is her first time running for office. She is listed on the ballot as Katherine Williams.

“As a young professional, I want to help represent Whitefish,” she said. “We need to hear from people my age. By hearing their grievances and ideas — we’ll represent a large part of Whitefish.”

She attended kindergarten in Whitefish, but then moved to Seeley Lake where she grew up. Her family still came to Whitefish almost every weekend to ski on Big Mountain.

Williams moved back to Whitefish in 2010 and began working at The Draught House the next year. She has been a volunteer with the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce.

Williams said it’s important for the younger demographic to be invested in the community through city politics. She said she has already gotten a lot of great ideas just from listening.

“I want to give back to the community,” she said. “I want to represent everyone from age 22 to age 80.”

She sees a lot of growth happening in Whitefish and a need to diversify the economy.

“We’re in the development phase where big things are happening and you can feel that,” she said. “Tourism dollars are still volatile — with the Canadian dollar, fire season and weather. But people are invested in Whitefish and it’s not going to slow down.”

Williams is running because she wants to give back.

“I love Whitefish and I’m fully invested in the community,” she said. “Whitefish is the epitome of Montana.”

Challenges

Williams said economic diversity and ensuring a solid workforce are the biggest challenges facing town.

“Every window you see a help wanted sign,” she said. “We need good workers that we can keep around and help represent Whitefish well.”

Williams points to many people her age that want to move to Whitefish, but either can’t find a good paying job here or can’t afford to live here.

“We need to have young families moving to Whitefish,” she said. “And investing in the community and its future. We need to find ways to solve this problem.”

“We need to provide stable jobs that allows people to come here, and buy local and invest in the community,” she added.

Budget

Williams notes that as a newcomer to City Council, she will have to learn more about the city’s budget, but she does want to see a cutback in spending.

“I think we need to be more conservative,” she said. “We need to save money for development.”

She points to the $14.95 million City Hall and parking structure project, along with the $8 million Haskill Basin conservation easement, as two big-ticket items the city has committed to.

“We need to make sure we are making sustainable decisions,” she said.

Economic development

Williams said the tourism industry will remain key for Whitefish, but there still needs to be diversity in the community.

“We need to have tax incentives,” she said. “We need to have zoning that allows for industry.”

She points to web based jobs as one example of an industry that can still provide tax dollars and support the local economy.

She would like to see programs that would assist small businesses with the infrastructure they need to operate.

Parks

Williams said the management of parks in Whitefish is very important to a community that is so outdoor-oriented. She points to Depot Park as an asset to downtown that needs to continue hosting events.

“It’s a showcase for Whitefish,” she said. “Having events there is key to downtown.”