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.”