Four democratic socialists running for Missoula City Council said they would propose significant changes to city polices around affordable housing, public safety and more if elected to office this fall.
The candidates, endorsed by the western Montana branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, include Ward 3 incumbent Daniel Carlino, Ward 6 incumbent Kristen Jordan, Ward 4 candidate David Quattrocchi and Ward 1 candidate Lucas Moody. The group shared their policy platform during a press conference near council chambers on Thursday.
“Let’s be clear to say we are not humoring any fuddy-duddy red scare rhetoric, leave that to the fascists,” Ward 4 candidate Quattrocchi said. “We are not here to burn it all down, we are here to build it back up and to trust the people of Missoula with their own town. So now we ask Missoula to decide: do we want government over us, or with us?”
The Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, is a political organization that supports candidates while advancing discussions on social issues, according to western Montana branch co-chair Brandon Work.
The DSA is a “political organization” that can make endorsements, but is not a political party. The group western Montana branchheld a series of talks earlier this year.
The organization generally advocates against capitalism in government decisions, which some of the candidates discussed at the press conference.
“DSA rejects an economic order based solely on private profit, alienated labor, gross inequalities of wealth and power, discrimination based on race, gender or sexual orientation, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo,” its bylaws read. “DSA envisions a humane social order based on popular control of resources, production, and economic planning, equitable distribution, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.”
On the issues
On Thursday, each candidate broke down a portion of the overarching organization platform, which includes affordable housing, city council reform, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA), public health and safety, the environment, small businesses, taxes, and policy on Palestine.
Ward 1 Candidate Lucas Moody said if elected he would propose a new social housing program to build affordable housing and use rent revenue to reinvest into the larger housing system.
“Since this would be de-commodified and taken off the market, there would not be a profit incentive necessary to promote this social housing,” Moody said. Therefore, the rents paid into the social housing can be invested into maintenance and to building additional social housing.”
Moody likened the proposal to work that is done through Front Step Community Land Trust, which preserves affordable homes through community land trusts and other actions.
The Missoula Housing Authority also currently partners with nonprofit and for-profit groups to help support more than 2,300 families in the Missoula area, according to its website.
Jordan called on significant reform to the Missoula city budget, which the council and Jordan unanimously approved this summer. She said the city must move to a “priority-based” approach to the budget.
“Instead of rubber-stamping the same budget every year, we will direct every tax dollar toward programs that actually deliver results,” Jordan said. “This will save money, improve transparency and give residents confidence that City Hall is working in their best interest.”
Ward 3 Councilor Daniel Carlino said if reelected he would make changes to the Missoula Redevelopment Agency to limit the city’s ability to spend Tax Increment Financing on hotel or bank projects.
“This all money that can be going toward true community benefits,” Carlino said. “When we are seeing Tax Increment Financing money be put toward housing projects, that is our chance to get truly affordable housing, but we need a city council that is going to step up and help make some changes, not just be on cruise control.”
Quattrocchi said he would focus his efforts on limiting the impact of short-term vacation rentals in the city and look to restructure public transit to better match people’s needs.
He criticized Mountain Line’s recent decision to pilot a free shuttle to Marshall Mountain in the month of September when there are limited services for people who might work late-night shifts on the weekend.
“This campaign is not just about policy, it is about power,” Quattrocchi said. “It is about giving this government back to tenants and back to citizens. To workers, to those left out and locked out.”
Brendan Work, the co-chair of the western Montana DSA, also added that the group would pursue action in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Work called for a halt of U.S. aid to Israel and to divest any city funds from Israeli companies.
“We are part of the world and we cannot be silent to the suffering,” Work said, citing that thousands of Palestinian children have died. “… this is not something that is happening over there. We pay as Missoulians for those kids to die, with our tax dollars and our complicity.”
Missoula City Council tabled a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the conflict in January 2024.
Among other policy items, the group would back an end to the city’s urban camping law, look toward developing a publicly owned ambulance system and pursue a “housing-first” model for helping people who are homeless.
Some candidates did push for additional policies that might not be supported by all democratic socialist candidates. Jordan called for a city minimum wage of $25 and limiting the salaries of top city administrators.
All four candidates running on the platform also secured endorsements from the Missoula County Democrats.
Officials with the organization said the fall city election features the most democratic socialists on the ballot in recent history. There are 12 seats on the Missoula City Council, with seven up for grabs overall. Election Day is Nov. 4.
Griffen Smith is the local government reporter for the Missoulian.
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