Kalispell City Council candidate Chad Graham

Name: Chad Graham, Ward 2

Age: 42

Occupation: Construction Industry, Kalispell City Council President and representative for Ward 2, Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission Chairman

Family: Tory (spouse), Abigail (daughter), Annie (pet beagle)

What plans do you have to balance the impact of growth on the existing Kalispell community?

I would continue to support policies that the council has adopted. The good thing about growth is it can be used to keep the city portion of your tax bill lower. Because of growth, the council has not taxed to the mill cap set by state law and has reduced taxes the last several years. Last year we were able to hire two more firefighters, we were able to build out the Kalispell Parkline Trail as was envisioned by the community, and lower taxation. The distasteful part of growth is the traffic. We live in Northwest Montana and need to have a transportation system that will serve us year-round and Move 2040 sets the path forward for reducing congestion. Amenities placed in mixed use development also serve to reduce congestion from growth, as they can provide some of the services residents need without much travel.

What are your specific solutions for solving the affordable housing crisis in Kalispell?

My “plan of attack” is supporting and creating policy to increase supply of housing inventory to meet or exceed demand by continuing to remove “barriers to entry” so we have the housing needed for future growth. Much of what is causing the increased housing pricing, such as product materials, services, and land costs are not items under Council control; we are a free market economy. Because of this, since 2019 550 affordable housing units have had permits issued for construction. Other communities have taken the opposite approach and have used the levers of government to demand creation of affordable housing. This has only achieved price increases in other housing and less affordable housing stock. The end outcome is development leaving for other places to do business.

What mix of development projects do you envision along the Kalispell Parkline Trail?

The Kalispell Parkline Trail offers so many news opportunities at a fresh start for the Core area of Kalispell. I was enthusiastic to support it and very happy to have been able to hand it off to the community to put the final design and vision together. I think that we will definitely see mixes of housing in the area, more opportunity to create entertainment value and hopefully see more of the Main Street atmosphere find its way into the area. However, the main driver of that is private innovation and vision and projects like the Silos. Being able to take our history and design it into new use could be a part of what we see. Years ago we set the Core area with new zoning of B3 which allows for flexibility when it comes to designs and uses in this new exciting area of Kalispell.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the city right now?

Obviously there are always many challenges facing municipalities. I believe with our growth, our biggest challenge is to not get ahead of ourselves. We are running and need to make sure we don’t trip ourselves up. We need to continue to face our challenges head-on and remember to follow the plans, policies and procedures that have been set as a guide map for the future. Following these will continue to give clear expectations of who we are and where we are going. Small, flexible and accountable government will allow Kalispell to manage the ups and downs that life hands us and provide a great community for all to experience.

Why are you the right person to represent your ward?

I have worked hard to ensure that residents always have a voice concerning their property and effort to protect the privacy and safety of Ward Two residents and of the city. I also fully support our police department and I’m glad to fund it every year and will continue to do so. I also understand that being on the council means you are working as a team and no one person has any more of a vote or a voice than others. Logic must play into decisions taken on the council. Council sets policy and policy guides the counsel--acting outside of policy will yield unsavory results for the residents of Kalispell. I believe in small, effective and accountable government and I push back against failed big city policies that so many people are moving here to get away from. I’d love to continue to represent you and I’m asking for your support.