Hayden Cook

Criminal Justice / Public Safety Continued support and growth of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) of Missoula. Housing Continue support through the Missoula Housing Authority and voucher programs to house low-income families. Infrastructure / Transportation Incorporate climate shelters and related infrastructure in new developments and redesigns/renovations of public spaces. Taxes / Budget Ease the burden of property taxes off of our low-middle income homeowners to encourage people to stay here and raise their families as well as aspiring homeowners having a chance to own a home where they grew up. Environment / Energy Advocate for tax credits and rebates for developers building energy-efficient and affordable homes and to homeowners/renters upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and systems. Wages / Job Benefits Advocate for paid sick leave for all employees in Missoula, including mental health, domestic and sexual abuse, and stalking as qualifying reasons for the leave. Environment / Energy Encourage and incentivize the construction of green roofs and planting of shade species trees. Civil Rights I will always advocate for and protect the disabled and impaired communities’ rights and access to quality care. I encourage Missoula to continue its work on making our community accessible for everybody and grow our social services for individuals needing assistance. Infrastructure / Transportation Encourage the use of economic and environmental industrial materials when creating, patching, or resurfacing roadways and other various asphalt-based infrastructure. Civil Rights I will always advocate for and protect the LGBTQ community’s rights. Environment / Energy Advocate and explore possibilities for improved recycling efforts, yard and waste composting, and keeping the streets of Missoula waste-free. Housing Introduce a tenant protection plan that would require all landlords/property owners who rent out their dwellings to provide new and existing tenants with resources and information regarding their rights. Education Work with the MCPS School Board on revising the graduation requirements in Missoula to better prepare our students for the reality of post-graduation life. Education Advocate for guest speakers at Missoula K-12 schools to present mental health education, with appropriate topics covered by age group. Abortion / Contraception I will always advocate for and protect a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. Infrastructure / Transportation Continued support for Mountain Line in its projects to create an all-electric fleet of public transportation, improve facilities at the station and stops across Missoula, and improve safety for all commuters. Civil Rights I will always advocate for and protect the rights of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community. Housing Approve the construction of more diverse housing, lowering costs during the entire process from planning and contracts to purchasing and renting. Education Advocate for a community effort to expose high school juniors and seniors to various sectors of Missoula. These opportunities come in the form of volunteering, job shadowing, field trips, public speaking events, etc, and provide real life experience for students interested in particular fields or topics.