Another Fair Board member resigns
Flathead County Fair Board member Susan Munsinger resigned on Wednesday, leaving two vacancies for the county commissioners to fill.
Munsinger’s resignation, effective immediately, comes on the heels of the board’s decision not to renew Fair Manager Jay Scott’s contract and an outcry from Scott supporters who have said publicly they want the entire Fair Board to resign.
They also want Scott rehired.
The commissioners are taking applications to fill Munsinger’s seat and the vacancy left when longtime board member Paul Atkinson abruptly quit after Scott was fired last month.
They’re also taking applications for the fair manager job until March 31.
Fair Board member Ted Dykstra Jr. took a temporary leave of absence from the board to fill in as interim fair manager. That leaves just Board Chairman Butch Woolard and newly appointed Joy Struble left on the board. Without a quorum, the remaining members will be unable to officially conduct meetings until the vacancies are filled.
In her resignation letter, Munsinger, who has served on the board since 2007, said there was a concerted effort by the board to provide for public input on the manager issue, but county policies and restrictions limit discussion of personnel matters at a public meeting, leaving board members unable to respond directly to questions and concerns raised by citizens.
“Since the board’s decision [not to renew Scott’s contract] was announced, a public controversy has erupted based on half-truths and misinformation,” Munsinger said in her resignation letter.
“But even now, board members are prevented from setting the record straight by the county’s restrictive personnel policies ... I have determined that I cannot continue working in this environment.”
Munsinger, a Kalispell businesswoman and an owner of Western Outdoor Store, said she will continue to support the Northwest Montana Fair as she has in the past “by donating belt buckles to the 4-H participants, buying advertising and attending events, concerts and rodeos.
“The fair is a vital part of life in Flathead County and I will continue doing what I can to see the tradition maintained,” she said.
Anyone interested in filling the vacancy left by Munsinger, which expires Dec. 31, 2011, or the vacancy left by Atkinson, which expires Dec. 31 this year, should send a letter of interest to the Flathead County Commissioners Office, 800 South Main St., Kalispell, MT 59901, or submit an e-mail to enelson@flathead.mt.gov on or before 5 p.m. on April 19.