The little town of Belt just recently got a new town clerk and mayor. This is a significant change for all the people. The new clerk, Kellen Kirby, replaced Lynn Shilling as clerk/treasurer, and the new mayor, Travis Page, took over the spot held by Jim Olson.
Kirby is originally from Stanford, Montana. He grew up on a small ranch there and graduated from Stanford High School in 2004. He was born into the family of Mike and Mary Kirby, who still
live in Stanford. After graduating High School, he went to the University of Montana Western. There, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Health/Fitness Management in 2008. After college, he worked in the child mental health field with Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, AWARE, and Youth Dynamics.
His experience was broadened when he decided it was time for a change; in 2019, he switched gears and started working in the business office of Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber. He was performing duties in accounts receivable when in this position. He then decided that he wanted to be closer to home, so he moved to Fort Benton and took a job at Big Sandy Medical Center. During this job, he was also working in the business office with Accounts Receivable. At the start of 2023, Kirby started working for Deffinbaugh Financial Services in Great Falls. During this time, Kirby also achieved his goal of becoming a licensed EMT.
Kirby found out about this job after working a day of cows while visiting his parents. His mom came across the advertisement for the clerk/treasurer position. Later in the evening, when he returned home, he decided to take the chance and put his name in for the position. Kirby decided to do this because he felt that his college degree and past work experience prepared him for the challenges he would be facing. Kirby’s first day in office was November 3rd, 2025.
He added, “I really enjoy this community. The people of Belt have all been super nice and supportive, some of them I have known for many years, and others I am just meeting for the first time.” Kirby says that there are some challenges that come along with the job, but he is learning the new position and feels that he is slowly becoming acclimated and figuring things out nicely. Kirby added that “the greatest challenges this job brings for me are just learning everything and where everything is, then changing things around to better fit the way I do things. Trying to find that perfect balance between the way things were done before and the way things are going to be done.”
The City of Belt website: cityofbelt.org is up and running, and Kirby will be posting updates and information on it. Kirby said, “I look forward to continuing to meet the citizens of Belt and work with the new mayor, Page, and continue to work with the amazing council members.”
The borders for the three wards are: Ward One is City Hall Side of the creek, north side of Bridge St. is Ward Two, and Ward Three is everything else on the east side of the creek. Each ward has two aldermen who are assigned to speak for it.
The two aldermen for Ward One are Michelle Stinson and April Wells. The representatives for Ward Two are Robert Miller and Becky Gorton. Paul Heikkila and Corbin Keaster speak for residents of Ward Three.
The council meetings are open to the public and take place every first and third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.; residents of the valley are encouraged to join in and take an active role in local democracy. The City Hall is now open Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The new mayor, Page, was born and raised outside of Corvallis, Oregon. At a young age, he was introduced to amateur (Ham) Radio, and that has been a huge part of his life for over 30 years. When he was a teenager, Page wasn’t interested in playing video games or participating in teenage activities. Page was busy making contacts all over the world on the radio. He currently has a very big station at his house and in his pickup. Page also likes to contribute his time to a few Ham Radio clubs around the states of Montana, Washington, and Oregon.
Page stated, “There are a handful of us Hams who have created a small gathering in Belt every year, people come from all over the country, we call it Belt-fest.” Page also stated that if anyone has any questions about
Ham Radio, he is willing to teach and answer questions.
His family is small but tight-knit. His wife, Briana, son Jaxon, and father-in-law Jake all live in Belt. Back in 2020, something was telling his family to move out of Oregon and find a new place to settle down. Page knew that at some time he would like to move to Montana. Page and his family slowly started to look for houses when they came across one in Belt, a town they had never heard of. When Page made it into Belt, he immediately knew that this is where they needed to be.
When his wife asked him how it went, he jokingly said, “I am going to be the mayor of that town one day.” One day, Page found out that Olson was going to be retiring for good and decided that someone needed to take his place.
Page knew that it was going to be a challenge, but that didn’t stop him. Page fell in love with the community of Belt and knew that he would be able to make the town better. Page wants to make the community of Belt better than when he started. First, he is working on getting the water project completed.
Page explained, “The only way I am going to be successful in my position is to get community input. I really want to encourage people to come to the City Hall meetings and give public input, good, bad, or indifferent.” The best way to get in contact with Mayor Page is through the City Hall or the meetings. Page is looking forward to serving his wonderful community and the awesome people of Belt.
Many people don’t usually pay much attention to local government, but without these individuals, day-to-day life in Belt would not be as convenient as it is. The Voice is pleased to welcome both Kirby and Page to
the community.
By Taylee Fox, The Valley Voice: January 16, 2026 – Belt, Mt
