Lorett, McKinney and Pester face off in Ward 4

Sarah McKinney spent most of her life in Havre, she said, and she has decided to run for Havre City Council because being on the council seems like a productive, proactive way to make Havre a better place to live.

"I think it is an opportunity to get more done, versus something where you are part of a board and all you do is meet and nothing ever gets accomplished," McKinney said.

McKinney will face Will Lorett and Lorraine Pester in the race for the Ward 4 Council seat now held by Matthew Boucher. Boucher did not file to run for re-election.

Ballots in Havre will be mailed to voters Friday.

McKinney said she supports the proposed mill levy to fund the repair of city streets that is on the ballot.

"If it will get us to fix the roads, I support it," she said.

The proposed mill levy would generate an estimated $15 million over 20 years or $750,000 annually to fund the repair of city streets.

If approved by voters, the levied increase would cost owners of property with a taxable value of $100,000 an additional $89.50 a year, and properties valued at $200,000 an additional $179.

McKinney said she does not think the money generated will be able to fund all the needed street repairs. She said the city should look to combine the additional money from the mill levy increase with money from the creation of Special Improvement Districts, or SIDs.

SIDS are created when a majority of property owners within a neighborhood who come together to form a district. Properties within the district are assessed fees or taxes to pay for bonds taken out to make repairs and improvements.

McKinney said she should would be open to other ideas on how the city can go about raising additional funds.

Whether to regulate or ban medical marijuana storefront dispensaries has been a subject many Montana cities have dealt with. In Havre, the council's ordinance committee has discussed whether storefront dispensaries should be banned or regulated.

McKinney said she would probably be against allowing dispensaries to advertise, and worries advertisements could send the wrong message to children.

She said she favors creating a Vacant Property Registry Ordinance, or VPRO, to crack down on owners of derelict or vacant properties in the city.

"I am definately in favor of finding a plan to make people take ownership and responsibility (for their property)," she said.

Earlier this year, at the request of Council President Andrew Brekke, Mayor Tim Solomon established a five-member committee to look at how the city can address the problem.

The issue was raised by Samantha Clawson, a Havre homeowner and Montana State University-Northern grant writer and now member of the committee, who asked the city to look into creating a VPRO to discourage derelict properties.

Cities and counties are grappling with how best to meet expenses with existing revenue. If Havre was in such a situation, McKinney said she does not know how she would go about raising revenue or cutting city services.

Though she doesn't know how the council could do it, McKinney said, she would like to find a way the city could support struggling businesses and encourage more businesses to open in Havre.