HELENA — Helena mayor-elect Emily Dean says Election Night was a “whirlwind,” but now she’s ready to move forward and start getting to work for the city.
“We have a lot on the list, and I would like to keep this momentum up and keep things moving,” she told MTN on Wednesday.
Dean will move into the mayor’s seat after six years on the Helena City Commission. She finished ahead of fellow commissioner Andy Shirtliff in the municipal general election (https://www.ktvh.com/news/helena-news/dean-narrowly-defeats-shirtliff-in-helena-mayoral-race) – by just 203 votes out of 10,759 cast.
(WATCH: Mayor-elect Emily Dean discusses issues the city will tackle in the coming year)
During her campaign, Dean talked about bringing “a new generation of leadership” to the city. She says Helena can get off to a new start quickly in 2026, with a new mayor, a new city manager and the start of a new city budget cycle.
“We have an opportunity to create something that really embodies all of the values that we've talked about,” she said. “I want to be very thoughtful about implementing some of the large projects that are included in our commission-adopted strategic plan. This means that it's going to take a lot of effort and consideration and attention.”
One of the biggest topics the city will be tackling in the new year is implementing their new land-use plan.
“We have built a policy document; now it's time to actually change some of the way that we do things and implement them, so that the community can reap the benefits,” Dean said. “That means that we are able to improve policy to make accessory dwelling units easier to build, ensure that we are implementing transportation plans that work for the community.”
When Dean takes over as mayor in January, she’ll vacate her city commission seat. That means one of her first duties as mayor will be to vote on appointing someone to serve the remaining two years of her commission term.
“That is a commission decision, but I'm always looking for someone who is dedicated to the job, really interested in working together and finding common ground, so that we can continue to move good policy for Helena forward,” she said.
Dean says her campaign was centered on having conversations with the public. Over the last weeks of the race, she held a number of town hall meetings with voters. She’s said she hopes to do something similar as mayor – holding more informal meetings where city leaders can speak directly with residents, rather than being limited by the procedural rules during a city commission meeting.
“We will be out; our town halls will continue,” said Dean. “I'm really excited to be able to keep up those conversations with the community.”
