BILLINGS — Longtime businessman Mike Nelson officially took over as Billings' next mayor after he was sworn in Monday evening.
Nelson, who has owned and operated the Northern Hotel in downtown Billings since 2009, said he is ready to get to work.
Watch this video to hear Nelson's plans:
"Lots of times, in the morning, I'm up before the alarm because I'm just excited to get to work," Nelson said Monday afternoon. "I can't even believe how excited I am."
Nelson said that he will slowly move into the mayoral office at City Hall, but for now, he wants to focus on getting out into the community.
“Let’s take care of the folks, let’s do the city’s business, and that’s what’s important to me right now,” Nelson said. “Let’s go talk to folks where they are, see the situations that they’re talking about rather than having everyone come to me."
Among those situations on the minds of many residents is the city's water billing system, with late penalties and potential service shut offs starting soon for those unpaid bills.
"I'm taking it very seriously," Nelson said. "I have started to dive deep into those issues."
Nelson said he's catching up on the latest, with hopes of helping navigate the city toward a solution.
“The important thing is that people are paying for the water that they’re using," Nelson said. "It’s also important that people aren’t overpaying for the water, so we’re going to take a really hard look at that."
Nelson said that the city's budget is also high on his priority list. The budget will be reviewed in his first couple months.
"Right off the bat, the city is facing a real budget crisis," Nelson said.
Nelson said he wants to make sure the city meets its budget without raising taxes for residents and instead generating more revenue.
"Those are long-term goals, but we need to start working on them right away," Nelson said.
Nelson said that his third priority is to improve public safety, by making sure that all first responders and law enforcement are fully staffed and fully equipped.
All of his items of focus are things Nelson looks forward to trying to solve.
"Can you imagine being able to make a difference in something as important as what we're discussing?" Nelson said with a smile. "This is an honor and it's very exciting. I'm proud of what we're going to accomplish."
