By Adam Graham Independent Correspondent for the Montana News Association
Kalispell and Whitefish-Karen Reeves(D-Whitefish) and Gary Hall (R-Columbia Falls) agree on two things. First, that planning is essential. Second, they both want to be County Commissioner.
In this issue of the Montana News Association, we profile the Democratic and Republican nominees for the Flathead County Commissioner position.
Reeves and Hall both are focusing their campaigns on the key issue of planning. They agree that there has not been enough planning during in recent years. With growth rates of more than 20%, both view the current state of County planning as a serious concern.
Reeves said that development in the valley has been done “without rhyme or reason” as the Valley's population has exploded in the past decade. Reeves proposes that neighborhood planning be done where neighborhoods rather than larger political units such as Cities or the County be the first step in the development process. Thus people would have a say “over what's moving in next door”.
Hall, meanwhile believes its important to move forward with a growth plan which may be completed even before a new County Commissioner takes office. Hall also thinks its important to re-establish a cities-county planning board, which due to differences between the current Commission and the City Councils was disbanded. Hall pledged to open dialogue between both pro-growth and low growth groups to work out a plan that is in the best interest of the Flathead and to maintain an open door policy.
On the issue of roadless areas, Reeves and Hall part company. While acknowledging that the issue of roadless areas in national forests is a Forest Service issue, Reeves said that she likes roadless areas, in part because of the protection provided to wildlife.
Hall is vociferous in his opposition to roadless areas. He said he was “deeply offended by road closures” which he considered to be the work of “environmentalists who grab the ear of judges”. He said that lack of roads has been shown to make the job of firefighters more difficult. As someone who was born and raised in the Flathead Valley. He believes that “All gates should be removed” and public access to the land should be restored. He said that the current move towards closing more roads was wrong and he would do everything he could to stop it.
On the issue of Wolford development's proposed Glacier Mall, Hall and Reeves both agree that they would preferred an expansion be done on the Kalispell Center Mall. Hall, for his part concedes that the mall will come. He said that once a developer is told he has to meet certain requirements before he can build and those are met, they have to be allowed to complete their project.
Hall is very confident of victory this November. During the course of his interview with the Montana News Association, he never returned to January as the start of the new commissioner's term but always referred to it as the start of his term.
Hall has been Mayor of Columbia Falls since 1998 and was re-elected in 2001. He was born and raised in the Flathead Valley. He went into the Navy and served two terms in Vietnam. He attended business college in Hawaii and returned to the Flathead in 1978. He is a former restaurant owner, and worked at Costco as a salesperson before landing his current position as business administrator for the Salvation Army Church. Hall and his wife also own a bed and breakfast in Flathead County.
Reeves says that she has support from a lot of people. While she acknowledges that she's not good at self-promotion, she feels that the skills local politics require aren't the same as are demanded at the state or national political level. She feels that in local politics, its important to work with the community and to be a consensus manager.
Reeves has never held elective office. She was the first woman to graduate from the University of Montana's Forestry program in 1974. She moved to Flathead County since then and has held a variety of jobs including timber cruiser, bartender, and waitress. For the past ten years, she has been the retail sales manager of Montana Coffee Traders.