Vail: City's spending habit is top issue
As an entrepreneur and the mother of
four children, city council candidate Mary Vail is sometimes
referred to as a “mom-preneur.” It’s small-business principles that
Vail wants to bring to the council chamber.
“I’m not big on spending a lot of
money,” Vail said. “I run my business and my household out of my
checkbook. If the money’s not there, then I don’t spend it — and
that’s how the city should be.”
Vail is originally from Milwaukee. She
graduated from the University of California Bakersfield and moved
to Whitefish in 2004. She and her husband John have owned property
in Whitefish for 15 years.
Vail owns a fragrance line for
children, Winsome Fragrance Co., which has been distributed
nationwide through Nordstrom’s and online.
All four of her children have attended
and graduated from Whitefish High School, which has led to her
involvement in a number of school-related committees. She’s worked
with Speak Up Whitefish, she was recently on the superintendent
interview committee and she regularly substitute teaches at high
schools across the valley. She’s currently active with the
Community Library committee and says her involvement at the library
is what prompted her to run for a council seat.
Vail says the city could be more
business friendly by eliminating regulations and offering
incentives for new companies to open here. She’s interested in
nurturing and developing the economic climate of more than the
downtown core.
“We have to make it easier for people
to come here and start a business,” Vail said. “If they’re willing
to take that financial risk, then we need to be more welcoming. You
have a certain group of people that want everything focused
downtown. Yet, there are business opportunities on U.S. 93 South
and West, or up Wisconsin Avenue. We need to look at all of
59937.”
The city sometimes over regulates, Vail
says, and she points to the sign ordinance as a regulation that
could hurt current business owners or keep new companies away.
“The city needs to allow you to market
your business and operate your business in a profitable manner,”
Vail said. “I understand why people want those regulations, but
there comes a certain point where they’re not welcoming.”
Vail notes that she wouldn’t have voted
for the cell phone ordinance.
“I can remember coming to Montana and
loving the fact you had the freedom to make your own choices and
use personal responsibility to do the right thing,” Vail said.
“That is not the same Montana I live in today.”
The Critical Areas Ordinance needs to
be simplified, Vail says, and should be easy enough for “a buyer,
seller, developer or planning director to pick up and
understand.”
She doesn’t support the ballot
referendum to repeal the 2010 Interlocal Agreement concerning the
city-county planning doughnut.
Putting TIF funds toward lowering a
bond for a new high school is a good idea, Vail says. She notes
that the high school desperately needs a new cafeteria and Wi-Fi
capabilities.
“I would like to see [TIF funds] go
toward the school before we do anything else,” she said.
She’s also interested in exploring the
idea of using TIF funds to rehabilitate the former hospital
campus.
“We have that whole block there that’s
kind of an eye sore,” she said. “Ideally you’d want a private
developer to buy it and do that, but how long will it sit
there?”
A new City Hall, she said, should be
practical for the needs of city staff. She doesn’t have a
preference as to its location, but applauds the idea for more
community involvement.
“I’m really glad there will be a
community forum,” she said. “This is something that will last
forever. I think we need a nice city hall that’s functional and in
the location people want it to be in.”