Helena Area Chamber Hosts Inaugural State of the City Forum Feb. 9

The Helena Area Chamber of Commerce convened its first-ever State of the City forum on Feb. 9, 2026, bringing city officials, economic-development leaders, community partners and school district leadership together for panel discussions and a public question-and-answer session. The event at the Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern Hotel aimed to map policy priorities and clarify how local projects could shape Helena’s growth.

Callie Aschim, Helena Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, framed the gathering as an effort to link private-sector and civic planning. It is about connecting the dots between the business community and city leadership. It’s about connecting challenges with opportunities and about connecting our shared vision for Helena with the actions we take, Aschim said, positioning the forum as a new venue for cross-sector coordination.

Panels addressed housing, infrastructure, public safety, sustainability and economic growth. One session focused specifically on how the passage of the school bonds will impact the future of the city’s growth and economic development. The Helena Public Schools superintendent warned that strong schools attract families and underpin broader development: Having great schools will enhance our community at large, so those strong schools are magnets to bring them into our community, so there is an infrastructure that we are taking care of our kids.

Public safety and emergency services drew pointed attention. Mayor Emily Dean commended the passage of a third fire station while cautioning that operational funding remains unresolved. We still have lots of gaps when it comes to our police department and actually funding the firefighters that will be in that fire station, Mayor Dean said, highlighting the distinction between capital projects and the ongoing costs of staffing and operations.

Organizers marketed the event as a broad invitation to residents—Helena, let's talk about our future. Join us for the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce's inaugural State of the City - a new, inclusive forum—language the Chamber used in promotional outreach to encourage community participation.

The forum served as a policy touchpoint more than a set of binding decisions. Panelists sketched how school bond projects, housing supply and infrastructure improvements could interlock to influence business recruitment and household relocation, but detailed timelines, bond amounts and staffing plans were not presented at the event. Attendance figures and full panel rosters were not released during the forum.

For Helena residents, the forum highlights the practical tradeoffs ahead: capital investments such as schools and a new fire station may alter development patterns, but staffing, budget priorities and implementation timelines will determine whether those investments deliver intended benefits. City leaders, the chamber and school officials now face the task of turning shared vision into specific budgets, procurement schedules and hiring plans that the community can monitor.