Seeking reelection: Ward 1 council member Heidi West in her own words

Editor's Note: With the ballot set, the Missoula Current asked each of the three City Council members who are seeking reelection to articulate why they're doing so, and what they hope to achieve in another term. This is the third of the responses. The Missoula Current will also run similar articles on the other candidates who have filed for City Council over the coming weeks.

Why are you running for reelection? 

I came to local politics from a place of neighborhood level grassroots activism. It was through organizing for a residential level clean-up of the White Pine Sash State Superfund Site, and the relationships that were built as a result of that process, that provided me with the encouragement to run for City Council.

At the time, my household was considered low income. I was priced out of the job market by the high cost of child care. I am intimately familiar with some of the challenges, as well as the benefits, of choosing Missoula to be home.

In 2015, is was the lack of representation of people like me that finalized my decision to run for office. A few things have changed over the past four years. Both my children attend public school. These days, I work for the North-Missoula Community Development Corporation where I develop permanently affordable housing, utilizing the Community Land Trust model.

What would you do with another term?

I decided to run for reelection, representing Ward 1,  because I thoroughly enjoy the intricacies of ordinance language, asking questions, and building connections with people and projects within our community.

Over the next four years I hope to continue to be a voice for equity and access to a clean environment, safe housing, and a healthy lifestyle for all of Missoula's residents.