MISSOULA - Jordan Hess was officially sworn in as the new mayor of Missoula on Wednesday.
He was appointed to the position by the Missoula City Council following a long meeting late on Monday night.
Hess has served on the council for nine years, making him the longest-serving member of Missoula's elected government.
He has advocated for public transportation and has backed the city's primary goals around housing, climate change, and equity.
Hess, who chairs the Land Use and Planning Committee, hopes to continue his work in those areas as mayor.
"One of the things I'm really excited about is our comprehensive land use code reform, that project just got kicked off. But really, it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rewrite our land use code and talk about what kind of city do we want to be in a couple decades. What do we want our community to look like? It'll provide a great opportunity to really build housing that Missoulians can afford while protecting the character of our neighborhoods." - Missoula Mayor Jordan Hess
Hess is filling the role after former MayorJohn Engen died of pancreatic cancer earlier this year.
"Don't try to be John Engen, be Jordan Hess, and the community will be very well served," said Missoula County District Court Judge Jason Marks.
Engen's term expires in 2025 and if Hess does want to fill the position, he will have to run in the municipal election which will take place in November of 2023.
