HAVRE — As Havre enters a new chapter in civic leadership, newly-elected Mayor Wade Bitz says his approach to the role is rooted in the connection between residents, city staff, and the systems that keep the community running.
Madison Collier reports from Havre - watch:
Bitz was elected in November and officially took office on January 1 2026 He says one of his primary goals as mayor is to serve as a facilitator between the people of Havre and the city employees who carry out day-to-day operations.
“My priorities as the incoming mayor are to just be a facilitator between our community and our city employees,” Bitz said.
That philosophy, he says, is shaped by both his personal background and professional experience. Bitz grew up on a farm just outside Havre before earning a degree in architecture and working in Great Falls for about a decade. In 2005, he and his wife returned to the Havre area with their family, eventually settling in town and becoming more involved in local civic life.
“I ran on the motto of empowering those who serve us,” Bitz said. “I feel like the mayor position is a liaison between our community members and our city staff.”
As he steps into the role, Bitz acknowledges that the city faces significant infrastructure challenges, many of which residents are already familiar with. Those include aging roads and continued improvements to Havre’s water system.
Since 2024, the city has made several upgrades to its water facilities, including improvements to data collection systems and reliability. One major milestone, Bitz said, was the completion of a lead service line removal project through the Montana Revolving State Fund program.
“We’ve completely removed any lead lines from our distribution system,” Bitz said. “Our constituents no longer have to worry about lead from those sources.”
Another priority for the new mayor is improving how the city communicates with residents. Throughout the campaign, Bitz said he frequently heard concerns from people who felt disconnected from city decision-making or were unsure where to find information.
To address that, the city plans to make meeting agendas and minutes more accessible, including placing physical copies in schools and other locations around town, rather than relying solely on online platforms.
“We really want better communication with the constituents of Havre,” Bitz said. “We want people to understand what’s happening at city council and feel comfortable reaching out with questions or concerns.”
The city is also moving forward with its first Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district, which focuses on downtown Havre and the Highway 2 corridor. The program allows a portion of existing tax revenue growth to be reinvested into infrastructure and beautification projects, without increasing taxes.
“That will give us resources to do some much-needed improvements to that downtown and Highway 2 corridor,” Bitz said.
Beyond city operations, Bitz says he hopes to remind people across north-central Montana that Havre has more to offer than many realize, from its history to its cultural and recreational resources.
He points to attractions like the Beneath the Streets historic tour, Fort Assinniboine, and the Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump as examples of what draw visitors to the area.
As a new council settles in alongside a new mayor, Bitz says his message to residents is simple: stay engaged.
“We really want to be transparent and available to the people of Havre,” he said. “Let us know what you see as the most important issues in your neighborhood and in our community.”
