Kalispell Mayoral Candidates Lay Out Competing Visions for Growing City

Three candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to be Kalispell’s next mayor in the upcoming November election.

This is the first in a series of questionnaires with municipal election candidates that the Beacon is publishing over the next week, beginning with the Kalispell mayor’s race. Mayor Mark Johnson, who has served the city since 2014, is stepping down from his position at the end of this year. Three candidates have stepped up to take his place – current Councilors Ryan Hunter and Sid Daoud, and local businesswoman Kisa Davison.

The Nov. 4 election is the first time the city will vote in a new mayor in more than a decade.

The mayor presides over all Kalispell City Council meetings and is the ninth voting member of the council. Each member is elected to a four-year term of office. With the council’s approval, the mayor is responsible for appointing members of advisory boards and commissions, executing ordinances and resolutions on behalf of the city, and performing ceremonial functions as the city’s mayor. All other executive and administrative duties are performed by the appointed city manager.

Ballots will be mailed out on Oct. 17, and the municipal election day is Nov. 4. Residents can drop their ballots off at a voting booth at the county’s election office or mail it in via the postal service.

Candidate Questions

1. Why are you running for mayor and what makes you a strong candidate?
2. What role can city government play in driving down housing costs in order to help Kalispell residents secure affordable housing? Please explain any housing initiatives that you’d support.
3. How do you envision city government shaping the future of downtown Kalispell? Please describe your vision for the city’s downtown core, including initiatives you’d support to improve its business environment, public safety, infrastructure, preserve historic character, and steer future development.
4. What are the most pressing issues facing Kalispell, that are not mentioned above, and why are they important?

NAME: Sid Daoud

AGE: 58

HOMETOWN: Great Falls

EDUCATION LEVEL: Some college

OCCUPATION: Senior consultant for cybersecurity company

PREVIOUSLY HELD POLITICAL OFFICES: Kalispell city councilor for two terms

1. I believe that our next mayor will have an enormous challenge. This next council will have between three and six new council members. Out of nine in total, that is a big shift. We will need an experienced, strong, patient and empathetic mayor that can not only control meetings but ensure that we keep our Kalispell tradition of fiscal responsibility at budget time. It is my firm belief that Kalispell has the most fiscally responsible council in the state and that among the current members representing each ward, I am the most focused on our fiscal responsibility. It is important that the next mayor is committed to “Executing the Will of the People” and understands that his primary role is to listen to the community. I firmly believe I am the most qualified and experienced choice to fill these roles.

2. During the emergency housing crisis caused by the large migration here during Covid we were suddenly thrust into having less than 1% available housing. This is a big factor on the high cost of housing or rentals. This council has done a good job of addressing this issue by adding units to the mix. We are already seeing a reduction in housing costs here but it will take many years to fully correct this issue. My best estimate is that we are at around 3 to 4% available housing currently. Free market research finds that when housing gets to 6% available, competition really kicks in and prices start to really drop. My goal is to get there but we need to shift gears over the next four years to ensure that we grow responsibly and limit sprawl into the countryside that we all love so much. I am in favor of finding regulations, fees and processes that can be reduced in order to ensure that the price you pay for housing is not inflated by government bureaucracy.

3. I heard loud and clear from the community that they overwhelmingly opposed the lane reduction from four to two on Main Street. This plan had more of a vehement opposition than any issue I have seen in my many years on council. I believe it is my (and all non-partisan municipal elected officials) role to “Execute the Will of the People” so I voted against funding the Downtown Safety Action Plan. The people of Kalispell should realize that this is still an approved plan in the city’s list of projects, but has no funding associated with it currently. The question of funding it will come up again. I will continue to “Execute the Will of the People” and will vote against moving forward with this plan. This sets me apart from my two opponents as they have historically pushed to fund this plan. The part of this plan that I did think was critical was the elevated flashing crosswalks across Main for St. Matthew’s Catholic School. Nothing is more important than child safety. I believe this is important and will strive to implement the crosswalks.

4. Kalispell has many issues that can be addressed. I am focused on getting the people more involved early on in discovering issues we need to address as well as more involved with our decision-making process so that they are not unaware of what we are looking at in our council deliberations. Everything we do currently is above board and public, but we can do a better job of getting the word out to citizens and driving people to our website and social media. With that in mind, I wish to have monthly town halls with me and the city manager so that we can have discussions, not just hear public comment. This will enable the city to focus on issues important to the people. The reason Kalispell city government exists is to serve the people, period.

NAME: Ryan Hunter

AGE: 49

HOMETOWN: Oregon City, Ore.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Master’s degree in Urban & Regional Planning

OCCUPATION: Land Protection Specialist with Flathead Land Trust

PREVIOUSLY HELD POLITICAL OFFICES: Kalispell city councilor for two terms

1. In nearly six years on the Kalispell City Council, I’ve brought new ideas and a thoughtful perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing our community. My record shows I have both the vision and the experience to lead. I listen carefully, take a balanced approach, and think creatively when addressing difficult issues. I want to put that experience to work as mayor, leading Kalispell toward a safe and vibrant future where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

This means making fair, responsible, and transparent decisions after listening to residents and stakeholders. Kalispell is undergoing rapid growth and change, and the decisions we make now will be among the most consequential in our city’s history. We need a leader who understands both the opportunities and the risks of this moment, and who has the knowledge and experience to make sound choices.

Professionally, I work for the Flathead Land Trust, protecting wildlife habitat, clean water, family farms, and open spaces through community conservation. I also serve on the board of the Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, helping those in need. I’ve worked with the Collaborative Housing Solutions partnership to address housing and homelessness in our community, participated in the Flathead Trails Association to promote trails in the Flathead, and hold a degree in urban planning. These experiences provide me with the tools and insight to help Kalispell navigate its challenging growth in a thoughtful way.

2. Housing affordability has been a central issue of mine during my time on city council. As mayor, I’ll lead efforts to ensure we have an adequate supply of diverse housing types to meet our community’s needs and help lower housing prices and rents. I also support placing stronger limits on short-term vacation rentals to prevent further erosion of housing availability for local residents.

While a competitive housing market is important, we must recognize that some people will never be able to afford market-rate housing, even if prices stabilize. That’s why I will propose forming an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee made up of local stakeholders. This group would create a comprehensive plan for the city based on best practices from similar sized communities. One initiative I plan to pursue is using vacant, surplus city-owned land to partner with nonprofit housing providers for them to build income-based affordable housing. The city must take a more active role in addressing this crisis, and as mayor, I will lead efforts to make real, measurable progress on this difficult issue.

3. Our historic downtown is the heart of Kalispell, a hub of local business, culture, and community. As mayor, I envision a downtown that thrives as a place for both locals and visitors, with expanded housing options, calmer and safer streets, and updated infrastructure. I’ll advocate for improved zoning to allow more residential development downtown and push for design standards that ensure vibrant, walkable residential and retail development along the Parkline Trail. I’ll work to secure funding for safer street improvements and other necessary infrastructure upgrades, particularly water lines on Main Street, which have limited downtown revitalization.

I also support maintaining the Downtown Historic District Design Standards, adopted in 2021, to ensure we preserve downtown’s unique character even as we grow. A thriving downtown strengthens our entire city, and I will be a strong advocate for its continued revitalization.

4. One of the most pressing issues is the need to update our development rules to better manage growth. Our policies should promote the creation of complete neighborhoods, places where people from a variety of housing types feel comfortable letting their children walk to a nearby grocery store. This means ensuring that a variety of housing types and small-scale commercial areas are within walking distance of each other. It also requires designing streets that prioritize safety, walkability and community livability over high-speed through traffic.

Another critical issue is responsible management of public funds. When the city council voted to cut developer impact fees in half and shift the cost onto already rising water and sewer rates, I was one of the few on council who voted no. Developers should pay their fair share of growth-related costs. I also opposed a deal to fully reimburse a luxury hotel developer for a downtown parking garage, insisting that the developer should be responsible for the cost of half the parking spaces that were reserved for his luxury hotel. I believe public money should be used responsibly and transparently, and I’ve consistently stood by that principle.

Finally, we must improve how we communicate with the public. I’ve worked hard to keep residents informed through regular updates on my public Facebook page and by being available to meet and talk with anyone who asks. I support proposals to hold town halls on fifth Mondays, when council doesn’t meet, to increase dialogue and transparency. Open, honest communication builds trust, and I will always prioritize it as mayor.

NAME: Kisa Davison

AGE: 51

HOMETOWN: Dodge City, Kan.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Bachelor of Arts in French

OCCUPATION: Business owner  

PREVIOUSLY HELD POLITICAL OFFICES: No previously held elected offices. Current Chair of the Kalispell Business Improvement District Board.

1. I am running for mayor because Kalispell has entered a critical new era that demands a different kind of leadership. The last five years of unexpected, unprecedented growth have pushed our city past a breaking point, leaving us with massive problems that require proactive attention to solve. Our challenge is no longer about whether we grow, but how we manage the consequences of the growth that we are already living in.

The next four years require a shift from reactionary attention to disciplined execution. I am the candidate of change who will bring that focus. My strengths lie in my practical, business-minded approach to solving complex financial and operational problems, and in leading a culture of innovation and collaboration. I know from over 25 years of business experience how to build teams, run meetings, audit systems, cut non-essential spending, and deliver results.

Kalispell needs a mayor ready to make tough decisions that are necessary to fix what is broken, control urban sprawl, and ensure our city remains a safe and affordable home for the working families who built it. I am prepared to lead that change from day one.

2. City government is not meant to be a primary homebuilder, but it currently acts as a primary driver of high housing costs by imposing bureaucratic friction and unnecessary expense. Our role must fundamentally shift from obstacle to accelerator. The only path to long-term affordability is rapidly and efficiently increasing housing supply across all price points. My core initiative is attacking the cost-of-process constraints imposed by the city:

A) Reduce Bureaucratic Red Tape: We must immediately eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies, uncontrolled standards and unnecessary costs in the development and construction approval process. Every week a project is needlessly delayed or complicated by municipal red tape adds thousands of dollars that are passed directly to the homebuyer or renter. By prioritizing staff resources and streamlining approvals, we directly lower the final cost of housing.

B) Housing the Missing Middle: Simultaneously, we must enable smarter, more efficient development that fights sprawl. I support carefully adjusting zoning codes to allow infill projects in areas that are currently underutilized. This is a powerful tool that we have in the recent growth plan changes that will provide diversity of housing types, which is essential to slowing the cost of entry for local workers, nurses, teachers, and first responders.

C) Infrastructure Investment: We must actively pursue opportunities to invest in core area infrastructure that is currently a roadblock to redevelopment and infill growth. These investments must not be shouldered by the ratepayers or be paid by property taxes. Instead, the investments should be funded by alternative sources that will encourage redevelopment and investments in the core area of our community, enabling us to house growth without expanding our city boundary.

My focus is smart, efficient growth that starts by removing the city as a financial roadblock.

3. I envision a downtown Kalispell that is vibrant, economically resilient, and one that honors the history and current identity of our city as the county seat and the heart of the Flathead Valley – a place where history and commerce thrive together. The city government’s role in that is to ensure that the infrastructure and public safety framework allow the private sector to lead that revitalization. My vision for the downtown core rests on three pillars:

A) Traffic, Parking, and Safety: Our downtown must be safe, welcoming, and easy to navigate for all users. My priority is to revisit and redesign the Main Street Safety Action Plan. The plan that was adopted in August of 2024 (voted unanimously by the council) was not approved for funding by council in June of 2025 because we didn’t agree as a community on the vision for downtown. We must move forward with plans that prioritize safety and support the flow of traffic through downtown in a manner that will generate greater commercial and community vitality than an unchecked highway. We must make downtown safe and easy to navigate, restoring faith in our public spaces and nurturing a sense of community for all our residents. The plan must be redesigned with all stakeholders at the table.

B) Strategic, Vertical Growth: We must continue to drive development, using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds judiciously to finance necessary public infrastructure within the district boundaries on projects that spark private investment and new development. Many of the buildings on Main Street and in the downtown area are unable to make upgrades to property to add residential space, become code-compliant, and improve usability. Quite simply, new businesses are unable to establish, and existing businesses are unable expand without infrastructure improvements. Residential additions, remodels, and new mixed-use redevelopments are impossible to include in our downtown without this deliberate investment. Smart, vertical density, and adaptive reuse is key to fighting sprawl and growing our tax base.

C) Preservation and Collaboration: We must agree to adhere to architectural review standards and support private efforts to maintain the historic character of our buildings and at the same time, acknowledge that this creates hurdles and frequently insurmountable expenses in redevelopment for private property owners and investors. Our history is a valuable economic asset, and new development must respect the legacy established along Main Street and the courthouse corridor. Our infrastructure and safety investments must secure the foundation, not undermine the history. I will lead the city to work collaboratively with the Kalispell Business Improvement District and local property owners to utilize TIF funds and other preservation grants to achieve both historical preservation and redevelopment investment. The city must be a leader in this collaboration.

4. The two most pressing issues currently facing Kalispell are the infrastructure backlog driving up costs for residents and public safety.

A) The Unfunded Infrastructure Backlog: Kalispell faces an estimated $200 million infrastructure backlog across our water, sewer, and road systems. This figure, as reported during the 2022-2023 budget cycle based on official public works assessments, is not existing bond debt; it is the massive, unfunded liability of delayed work. As I understand it, this liability exponentially ballooned due to post-COVID construction inflation and the need to finance critical, unfunded projects like PFAS mitigation and new well drilling, wastewater treatment plant upgrades, and key transportation needs. This liability is critical because:

• It spurs costly sprawl: Our failure to aggressively finance and upgrade infrastructure within the existing city limits is the primary reason developers look to the city’s fringes, forcing costly utility extensions and driving inefficient urban sprawl. We must use infrastructure investment to drive smart growth.
• It drives up resident costs: Because the city lacks dedicated capital funding and the necessary fiscal discipline, it has been forced to impose painful utility rate increases, unfairly burdening working families and fixed-income seniors.

To be clear, this is not a failure of past intent or a failure on the part of the current mayor or council, but a failure of our outdated funding system. I will address this through immediate fiscal discipline and aggressively pursuing federal and state grants to redirect every possible dollar to eliminate this backlog.

B) The Public Safety and Health Crisis: The severe growth in our homeless population and related public disorder stems directly from the housing and mental health crises. We cannot just police our way out of this; we must solve the root causes. This is important because it impacts the quality of life, business environment, and resource drain on our first responders.

I support the passing of the jail bond to expand critical services around the detention center and expanding opportunities for services that will create a sustainable exit ramp from the street-to-jail cycle.

Assuming that the jail bond is passed, I will immediately begin advocacy for public safety by establishing partnerships for state resources to be reopened in Kalispell. The city must support the leadership of Western Montana Mental Health Center and their merger with AWARE and the launch of the Glacier House facility. This will reestablish in Kalispell the missing supportive services for those who need mental health and addiction crisis care and are currently creating a burden on our law enforcement, jail, and the safety of our public spaces.

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