A Missoula city council member, Bob Campbell, insinuated during a city council meeting on Monday night that other members of the council, the mayor and some Missoula County commissioners engaged in a “pay to play” scheme. Campbell said that because the owner of a farm receiving open space bond funding made campaign contributions to some elected officials, those officials should have recused themselves from voting on the project.
Campbell was then sharply rebuked by several other city council members who took issue with his accusation, saying it lacked any legal merit and that he had thin evidence.
Ward 5 Candidate Bob Campbell
City attorney Ryan Sudbury also said that in his opinion, the evidence Campbell presented didn’t amount to any violation of law or ordinance.
Campbell made the accusation when speaking in opposition to a motion before the council to award up to $310,000 in 2018 Open Space Bond funds to the Corner Farm. The money will allow Corner Farm, an 8-acre working veggie farm on Tower Road, to be purchased by a nonprofit called Trust Montana. The land, including a riparian area, will be protected from development in perpetuity so that it can be used for agriculture. The farm produces about 40,000 pounds of food per year and is currently owned by Neva Hassanein. At the end of the meeting, the council approved using the funding on an 8-2 vote.
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In a prepared statement, Campbell said he had “cause for concern” with the project because Hassanein has made political donations to several elected officials, including county commissioner Dave Strohmaier, city council member Mirtha Becerra, and mayor Andrea Davis.
Campbell said county commissioner Strohmaier and commissioner Juanita Vero voted to approve a zoning variance that would allow an agricultural business as an accessory use on the property.
