Whitefish to approve legislative priorities

Whitefish City Council on Monday is expected to set its legislative priorities on the same day the 2025 legislative session begins.  

The priorities are in five main areas: community housing, environmental quality, municipal finances, land use regulation, and renewable and clean energy opportunities.  

City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E. Second St. 

City Manager Dana Smith said the legislative priorities focus on issues that are of high importance to the city.  

“Identifying the city’s legislative priorities provides the City Council and staff a clear and united platform when addressing our elected representatives during the 2025 Session,” she said in a memo to Council.  

Under community housing, the city’s priority list says it supports the expansion of low-income housing tax credits, expanding tools and grant programs related to housing and new legislation that increases the supply of community affordable housing. While it would oppose a reduction of current housing programs and existing tools available to cities for such housing.    

For municipal finances, it supports the preservation of a resort tax, a fair property tax system that does not disproportionately burden residential property owners especially those who use the property as a primary residence, and the preservation of the city’s authority to place levy questions on the ballot. It opposes legislation to decrease current revenue streams for cities, the elimination of carryover mills and restrictions on voted levies.   

In terms of land-use regulation, the city wants to see legislation providing local control of community development practices and opposes legislation limiting planning and zoning authority or cities and the preemption of local land use policy making such as development standards, density, parking and architecture.   

The city also opposes any legislation limiting self-governing powers of charter cities to make local decisions.  

ALSO ON the agenda, Council will consider two ordinance changes.  

The first amends city code to clarify that police officers can issue a civil citation to a person who commits a municipal infraction. The change is being made after the Whitefish Municipal Court expressed concern that police officers are not specifically authorized to issue civil citations.  

The second amends city code to allow for Whitefish Police to enforce the civil penalty associated with the use of marijuana in public places. While state law allows those age 21 and older to possess a certain amount of marijuana for recreational purposes, it also provides that the use of marijuana in a public place is subject to a civil fine not exceeding $50.  

Council is set to consider a lakeshore permit with a minor lakeshore variance for a property at 422 Dakota Ave. The permit would allow for an existing city sewer main situated under the rear deck of a home to be relocated.  

DURING A work session beginning at 5:45 p.m., Council will revisit the topic of compensation for councilors and the mayor.  

Whitefish voters in November approved a change to the city’s charter that allows for council and the mayor to receive a salary. Council members now receive benefits including reimbursement to purchase an electronic device, reimbursement for personal cell phone use, a WAVE membership and the ability to opt into the city’s health insurance program. 

Whitefish has been one of a few cities in the state that doesn’t provide a salary or stipend to its elected officials. In Columbia Falls the mayor gets a salary of $4,800 and councilors get $2,400. Kalispell pays its mayor $9,000 annually plus a stipend of $1,800 per year, and councilors get a $5,000 salary plus a $900 stipend, along with health benefits. 

Council is expected to provide direction on a resolution regarding compensation that would then be scheduled for a public hearing and vote.  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.