Missoula City Scorecard- Seven of Twelve City Council Members Earn High Marks

Missoula - The Montana Conservation Voters Missoula Chapter released its first Missoula City Conservation Scorecard this week.  The scorecard reviews City Council votes affecting Missoula's clean air, water, open space and transportation, and rates individual Council members' votes.  Click here for the full scorecard.

"Missoula is a great place to live, work and raise a family," said Alex Taft, Vice Chairperson of Montana Conservation Voters Missoula chapter.  "Voters expect the City Council to protect our rivers, great downtown, open spaces and parks that make our city wonderful.  The City Council has made progress in the last two years to protect these values, but only by narrow voting margins," Taft said.

Conservation Voters consulted a variety of environmental and conservation organizations to identify key votes and issues to rate in the scorecard. Seven of twelve council members earned a 70 percent or better rating on the scorecard. A 100 percent indicates full support for the group's positions. 

Ward 1 council members Dave Strohmaier and Jason Wiener each earned 100 percent scores, while Pam Walzer (Ward 2), Bob Jaffe (Ward 3), Stacey Rye (Ward 3) and Marilyn Marler (Ward 6) earned 90 percent scores.  Ed Childers (Ward 6) earned a 78 percent score.  John Wilkins (Ward 4), Lyn Hellegaard (Ward 4) and John Hendrickson (Ward 2) earned a 33 percent, 22 percent and 20 percent respectively.  Ward 5's Renee Mitchell and Dick Haines, earned the lowest scores - 14 percent and 13 percent respectively.

Montana Conservation Voters will soon interview and endorse candidates for the Missoula City Council.  "Who we elect matters," emphasized Chapter board member and environmental health advocate Cassidy Randall.  "The City Conservation Scorecard will inform voters when they cast ballots this fall.  Everyone who cares about responsible growth and our rivers should register, vote, and consider records related to our clean air, water and open space this year," she said.  

City Council members serve four-year terms, elected in odd-numbered years.  Six of the twelve members are seeking re-election in 2009 when voters will cast ballots exclusively by mail.

Montana Conservation Voters is a grassroots membership organization working to protect Montana's air, land and water by involving people in our democracy.  The Missoula chapter was established in fall, 2007. For more information, visit www.mtvoters.org, or call 542.1055.

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