Greetings!
The primary season is upon us. The primary election, June 5th, will determine who is on the ballot in November for the two open seats for Flathead County Commissioner. This is important for many reasons. The county commissioners make the decisions on land use planning and transportation issues. They are the ones who will determine how we plan for future growth. Please take time to get informed and vote! Scroll down for information on who is running.
We sent each candidate a certified letter as well as an email with our questions attached. The certified letter was to ensure that each candidate received our mailing. We have repeatedly called and encouraged all candidates to respond as it is a great way to distinguish themselves and allow voters to make informed decisions. If they chose not to respond that is noted under their name. To find out which candidates responded and how, scroll down to the candidate boxes and click on the words "Answers to Questions".
Please also note that the candidates were each told that their responses would be printed verbatim (spelling counts!) and that we would not edit or correct their comments. They were limited to a total word count of 1000 words.
Remember that for the primary election you must either vote an all Democratic or an all Republican ticket. There are no contested races for county commissioner on the Democratic side this year. All candidates regardless of party are included in this report.
Normally, Flathead voters choose a county commissioner every two years with three commissioners on staggered, six year terms. Dale Lauman's tenure as Commissioner of District 3 will expire at the end of the year. He has decided not to run again but there are six other candidates vying for the position. The winner will serve a six year term. Because of the passing of Jim Dupont, this year voters in the Flathead will select a second commissioner. The winner of that race will only serve two years to fill out the unexpired term of the District 1 Commissioner. There are eight candidates in this race.
Here is a list of the questions that we sent to every commissioner candidate; scroll down to read their answers:
1) JOB CREATION AND PLANNING:
Numerous recent studies have found that our greatest economic assets are the Flathead's natural and recreational amenities. Do you agree with these findings? What actions would you recommend to help conserve these assets while still attracting businesses that will create quality job growth in our county?
2) PROPERTY RIGHTS:
In addition to protecting the health, welfare and safety of Flathead County residents, what role should land use regulations play in retaining the character and quality of life in the Flathead? What balance would you seek between individual private property rights and the overall welfare and quality of life of the county?
3) REPRESENTATION:
Montana State law allows for the establishment of neighborhood-elected community councils, which give a more direct voice to rural communities in advising the county commissioners on development proposals and on long range plans for potential development within their neighborhoods. The county commissioners a number of years ago established elected community councils for the Bigfork and Lakeside neighborhood planning areas. Do you support the establishment and continued use of community councils?
4) MAINTAINING THE IDENTITY OF RURAL COMMUNITIES:
Through an extensive series of town hall meetings that were held when the Growth Policy was being drafted, Flathead County residents clearly expressed their most valued characteristics of the valley. Highways lined with development compromise the collective vision of preventing communities from growing together and losing their unique identities. It also negatively impacts the flow of traffic between towns. These were two of seven important elements identified by residents during the visioning process. What can or should the County do to respect their constituent's valued objectives?
5) WATER QUALITY:
Recently the Whitefish Lake Institute released a report showing that there is septic contamination of the lake. Although all lakes in our drainage have not had the same level of testing it is reasonable to assume that septic failure is causing similar problems on other Flathead waterways. What steps will you take as county commissioner to secure the protection of our water quality?
County Commissioner Candidate Information:
Please scroll down. There is a direct link to the answers that were provided by each county commissioner candidate. If a candidate did not respond we marked his or her page with "Chose Not to Respond". We have provided direct links to candidates' websites and online information to make it easy to learn about their positions.
Voter Information for the June 5th Primary Election:
If you haven't registered to vote, now is the time. It takes very little time to fill out the paperwork. For late registration (anytime after the close of regular registration which is 30 days prior to the election), you must appear in person at the Election Department up to and including election day, fill out a voter registration card, and vote a ballot that you receive from the election office staff.You can check with the Flathead County Election Department (758-5535) about the status of your registration, if you have questions.
Remember to take valid I.D. with you when you go to the polls.
Flathead County Election Department
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
During the time of April 1 through June 30, 2012 - The Election Department will be relocating to the County Fair Kitchen Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds for voter registration and absentee ballot issuance.
Mailing Address:
800 South Main, Kalispell
(406) 758-5535
Absentee ballot application (Adobe pdf format)
Absentee ballot application (Word format)
Polling Facilities
