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MARSHALL HOWDEN - WARD 1 ALDERMAN CANDIDATE
The following survey questions were sent to all 2024 candidates.
This was Marshall Howden's response:
1. What prompted you to run for this position?
I want to continue to enact the changes we have made at City Hall. Under the leadership of city administrator Cathy Stepp, whom I strongly
advocated for in the hiring process, the department directors have seen a drastic change in how the government has operated. We now operate at the speed of business as opposed to the slow grind of government that occurs when you let “red-tape” bureaucracy run amok.
2. What are your goals for the Branson community if elected?
I want to continue to oversee the process of renovating the building we have chosen for the new police station. Furthermore, there is still work
to be done to ensure the core values of Branson, namely “faith, family & flag” are prioritized in our tourism marketing efforts.
3. What is the #1 issue you hope to address if elected?
Code enforcement is always an area where conservative leaders feel a need for improvement. I am no different when it comes to maintaining a
steadfast vigilance towards a pro-business governing style. For years, there was an impression that Branson was one of the toughest cities to
do business in. That has changed under the current administration but there is still room for improvement.
4. On a scale of 1 to 5 (poor to excellent), how would you rate the transparency and communication of Branson's current Board of Aldermen?
I can confidently answer with the highest rating for this question by giving the board a 5. I feel secure in saying that because of the night
and day difference between our leadership and that of previous boards. I have a long resume of fighting for transparency at CIty Hall. During
the Covid-19 meetings, it was my live stream feeds that ultimately inspired the city to install cameras and create a youtube channel for the city’s public meetings.
5. Is there anything you want to change or improve in that regard?
There are community boards that we appoint members to that are lacking in transparency. One of them is the Tourism Community Enhancement
District (TCED) board. Currently, the meetings for that board are not recorded and the current group of aldermen are advocating to change that.
6. Branson's long-standing culture has been one of patriotism, Christianity, and family values; how would you support or change this culture as a Branson Alderman?
Despite this being a long-standing tradition, there have been forces within Branson leadership over the past decade who have attempted to
secularize Branson in an effort to not offend anyone. And yet, I don’t look at our sincerely held community values as offensive in the slightest. In fact, I feel it is the part of Branson that we should be most proud of. I recently organized a concert based around the theme of “Faith, Family & Flag” to ensure that our local leaders continue to prioritize this culture at city hall.
7. How would you define your political affiliation? Democrat, Republican, or other?