County commissioner

By MICHAEL RICHESON/Daily Inter Lake

Republican candidate Jim Dupont, who served as sheriff for 16 years, could be considered the clear favorite in the race for Flathead County commissioner, but don't tell him that.

Dupont laughed at the idea that he doesn't have to worry about his opponent, Democrat Steve Qunell.

"I don't feel that way," Dupont said. "He's a well-educated guy. We certainly have distant views on what his approach is versus what my approach is, but I'm not taking [the election] for granted."

After winning the June 3 Republican primary by a landslide over incumbent Gary Hall, Dupont's summer has been mostly booked up with work obligations, but his campaign staff has been active on his behalf.

In spite of his relaxed attitude when it comes to campaigning, Dupont's ability to be a political everyman has served him well. His folksy, get-things-done style of leadership helped him win four elections for sheriff. He doesn't speak in technical terms and doesn't typically wade into policy minutiae, but he has a reputation for getting the right people to accomplish a goal.

Dupont said he has been watching the issues unfold for the county, especially when it comes to the budget situation. If elected, Dupont said the budget would be one of his priorities because it is key to his main election platforms: Property rights, roads and public safety, which he believes are the three main responsibilities for the office of commissioner.

"That's where the budget needs to go first and then go from there," Dupont said. "What are the basic needs the county should provide to its citizens?"

Dupont believes that his experience budgeting for the sheriff's office gives him a leg up on dealing with the county's finances.

Dupont moved from San Diego to the Flathead and began working as a deputy sheriff in 1978. During his time in California, Dupont owned two small businesses and worked as a deputy sheriff for eight years. Prior to that, he also served in the Navy and flew transport flights in Vietnam.

Dupont said his accomplishments as sheriff are a good indicator of what he could do as a county commissioner.

"I brought organization and leadership to an office that was lacking those things," he said. "There was a lot of turmoil going on when I arrived. We took it out of the hole and modernized it."

Dupont said under his leadership the department went from the pencil to the keyboard, raised deputy wages and replaced an aging fleet of cars.

"I'm really proud of where the sheriff's office went," he said.

As well as serving as the sheriff, Dupont started his staff working on consolidating the county's 911 response units 10 years ago. Those initial efforts were carried on by others, and the reality of a new 911 center is nearly here. Dupont said his efforts were an example of how he is able to bring unity and compromise to complex issues.

"It was a big battle to get everybody united to get over the turf battles," Dupont said. "It took way too long, but it didn't get dumped in the toilet. It's about being open, honest and consistent."

Since moving to Flathead County, Dupont has spent close to 30 years working in law enforcement. He chose not to run for re-election when his term ended in 2006. He "retired" to his home near West Glacier and has been working part time as a security consultant.

Dupont said he knew the seat for commissioner was coming up, and a lot of people were urging him to make a run. He also misses being in politics and working with the public.

"I've always dealt with the county commissioners and how they work," he said. "Over the years, I dealt with a lot of them. It seemed like a lot of the decisions were based on everything but what the county needed. I have a good base of knowledge about what goes on in the county, and I have a good idea of what the county needs. I think I can do a better job."

Dupont said the commissioner position should be filled by someone with leadership experience instead of as a beginning point for a new politician. He also said that, if elected, he only will serve one term.

For Democratic commissioner candidate Steve Qunell, the summer has been spent trying to find a balance among work, family visits and campaign commitments.

A relatively unknown figure in county politics, Qunell has been trying to convince voters that he is the candidate who can lead the Flathead in a new direction through collaboration, communication and innovation.

"I've been here long enough to understand that we need better management of our shared economic resources if we're going to preserve what we have," Qunell said. "I don't want people to look back six years from now and say, 'Gosh, we should have done something about that.'"

Much of his schedule has been consumed by a marathon of county meetings for neighborhood plans, riparian setbacks, gravel pits and planning-board meetings regarding the Whitefish "doughnut" takeover, a move by the county to regain planning control of the two-mile area outside of Whitefish.

Qunell, who has a master's degree in policy and management from Harvard, said his time at the meetings and time as vice chairman for the Whitefish City-County Planning Board have taught him valuable lessons that will help him if he becomes a commissioner.

"It's helped me understand the issues that are out there," Qunell said. "You learn to cooperate with people, and that's what we need in this valley. You learn pretty quick that you have to stand up for what's right despite withering criticism."

Qunell's knowledge of myriad county issues is encyclopedic, and he immerses himself in complex issues. He's even begun work on a water-quality action plan based on potential new state regulations on Total Maximum Daily Load for area waters.

As a Democrat who supports planning, Qunell is often tagged as "anti-growth," something he completely rejects.

"That couldn't be further from the truth," he said. "It's about keeping this place special as we continue to grow. Our diverse economy is based on the fact that we have agriculture, service industries, and we are growing in the tech industry. If we become like anyplace else, people aren't going to want to come here and start businesses."

Flathead's economy is a major focus of Qunell's campaign. He pointed to Plum Creek as an example of a company changing to meet a new economy. The timber company rapidly is switching from the lumber business to the development business.

"Farms, development, gravel pits - we need to look at how we transition to meet new market demands," Qunell said. "We can't apply the same old thinking to new problems. There are more options than just family transfers and development for farm land. This requires new thinking in the county."

Qunell was born in South Chicago but spent most of his childhood in South Carolina. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1995 with a degree in history and moved to Yellowstone Park, where he worked as a cook at the Old Faithful Inn.

He and his wife, Jessica, decided to settle in the Flathead Valley, where Qunell's relatives once owned a cherry orchard. Since moving to the valley, Qunell has worked framing houses, building cabinets, teaching at FVCC, investigating child abuse and guiding teens through substance-abuse issues.

Qunell currently works as a part-time writer and stay-at-home dad, and his wife works as a teacher.

"We're living hand-to-mouth right now," Qunell said. "We've made the tough decision to be at home with our kids rather than having them in day care five days a week. That's a tough economic pill to swallow, but I have to put my family first. That's important."

Qunell said he knows that he's the underdog in this election, which is why he has been pounding the pavement to share his ideas.

"I'm the David in this David and Goliath story," he said. "He has the name recognition; I have the better ideas."

Qunell also has come out swinging against his opponent. Although he said Dupont's time as sheriff deserves admiration and respect, it doesn't mean he's the best choice for commissioner.

"I have an opponent that doesn't seem to care about the process or people's problems," Qunell said. "I think we owe it to ourselves to get in and dig deep and inspect the issues in this race and vote for the person that's willing to work toward real solutions."