2015

 
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Scroll down and below you will  find links to information on ALL candidates who are running for City Council Elections and for Whitefish residents information on the proposed two amendments to the City of Whitefish Charter. Links are provided to all the candidate interviews that have been carried in local papers and to the candidate's website if they are available. 

The final day to vote is Tuesday, November 3rd.

We encourage you to seek out the candidates' positions on:
  • How they will plan for growth and work to retain the special character of your town or neighborhood?
  • What will they do to insure that growth pays its way and this burden is not unfairly shifted to individual tax payers? 
  • What is their position on the need for transparency in local government. How will they promote civil discourse, public participation & city-county cooperation?
  • What challenges do they see our local economy facing and how will they provide leadership to address these challenges?  
  • What will they do to promote energy conservation and  clean energy sources?  
  • Where will they provide leadership to protect our air and water quality?  
You can find more information regarding the election at the Flathead County Election Department website or view a sample ballot here.

Please note that:
  • Whitefish and Columbia Falls, the top three candidates with the most votes are elected.
  • Kalispell voters can only vote for the candidates running in their ward.  If you need to confirm what ward you are in click on this map. 
  • Whitefish is a mail-in ballot only.
  • If you have questions about where to vote or if you are registered call the county election office at758-5535.

Please make taking time to vote a priority,

 
Citizens for a Better Flathead 

Kalispell - City Council  
Ward 1 - Kari Sue Gabriel
(Uncontested)
Occupation:Flathead Care

Council Member since 2004 

Email: 
kgabriel1963@gmail.com 
 
Ward 2 - Wayne P. Saverud 
(
Uncontested)
  Occupation: Manager of Mass Mutual

  Council Member since 2007

  Email: wpsaverud@gmail.com
 
Ward 3 - Christopher M. C. Cunningham

Occupation: ImagineIf Libraries

Articles: Flathead Beacon

Campaign Website: 
http://redalgo.weebly.com

 Email: dc_drakon@hotmail.com  
 
Ward 3 - Rod M. Kuntz
Occupation: Don K Subaru

Council Member appointed 2014

Articles:  Daily Interlake, Flathead Beacon

Email: kuntz@bresnan.net

Ward 3 - Karlene Osorio-Khor
Occupation: Member/Manager La-Lark LLC  
 


Email: karlene@karleneforward3.com

Ward 4 - Phil Guiffrida 
(Uncontested)

Occupation: Cummings Inc. (Independent service provider for Fed Ex)

Council Member since 2012
 
Email: phil4citycouncil@gmail.com
 
Whitefish - City Council   
Mayor - John M. Muhlfeld (Uncontested)
Occupation:  Owner - River Design Group

Whitefish City Council Mayor since  2011 

 

Council - Richard Hildner
Occupation: Retired High School Teacher

City Council Member since  2011
 
Whitefish Community Raido

Council - Frank Sweeney
Occupation:  Attorney

City Council Member since 


Council - John Repke
Occupation: Semi-retired (Background in corporate finance and management)


Email: 
repke2015@gmail.com

Council - Barton Slaney
Articles: Whitefish Pilot

Email: 
barton.slaney@gmail.com

Council - Katherine Williams
Occupation: Manager - The Draught House at Great Northern Brewing Co.
 

Email: 
katherine.williams.mt@gmail.com
 
Columbia Falls - City Council 
Council - Shawn Bates
Occupation: PepsiCo, Volunteer Firefighter and EMT

Articles: Flathead Beacon

Email: imsbates@yahoo.com

Council - Darin V. Fisher
Occupation: Trails Manager with the Forest Service, Hungry Horse Ranger District. Owner of Backslope Brewing (opening Winter 2016).


Council Member since 2013

Email: darinfisher@hotmail.com

Council - Tyler Lee Furry
Occupation: Designer and user interface developer for the Zane Ray Group.


Email: tyler.furry@zaneray.com

Council - Doug Karper
Occupation: Head of Maintenance and Custodial Services for School District 6.


Council Member for Twelve Years

Email: karper@montanasky.net

Council - John H. Piper
Occupation: Night Supervisor for Montana Veterans Home (Chief of Columbia Falls Fire Department until 2007)


Email: mterick@hotmail.com

Council - Frederick "Erick" Robbins
Occupation: Realtor


Email: mterick@hotmail.com

Where and How to Vote:

Important:  If you live in Whitefish where all voting is by mail or if you live in Kalispell or Columbia Falls and registered to receive a absentee ballot and have not yet received your ballot, contact the Flathead County Election Department at 758-5535. You may still register and vote at the Election Department up until 8pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd.  
 

POLLING INFORMATION:

 

Kalispell - Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center -

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

 

Columbia Falls - City Hall Council Chambers -

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

 

Whitefish - ALL BY MAIL - Ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Ballots may be dropped off at

 

    Whitefish City Hall - 418 E 2nd St. Whitefish -

        8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m Mon.-Fri.

            Election Day - 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

 

Any Ballot (including absentee ballots) may also be dropped off at:

 

    Flathead County Election Dept. -

        800 S Main - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

            Election Day - 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.



Voter Identification

  Acceptable forms of identification are driver's licenses, school district or post-secondary education photo IDs, tribal photo ID cards, Costco cards, voter confirmation cards, current utility bills, bank statements, paychecks or government documents that shows the voters' names and current addresses.

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        For more than two decades Citizens for a Better Flathead has worked
to foster informed and active citizen participation in the decisions shaping the Flathead's future, and to champion the democratic principles, sustainable solutions, and shared vision necessary to keep the Flathead Special Forever.