Retired businessman joins Whitefish council race

Retired businessman Doug Wise has filed for a seat on the Whitefish City Council.

Wise, 66, of Whitefish, is not related to former Syke’s Grocery & Market owner Doug Wise, who died in January.

A Tennessee native, Wise bought a home in Whitefish 1995 and lived there part time until becoming a full-time Whitefish resident in 2007. Prior to his retirement he owned Wise Connections and was a business consultant.

Wise is active in the Whitefish community, serving as vice president of the Whitefish Lake Golf Association. He is a member of the Whitefish Parks Board, serves on the Hugh Rogers Wag Park board, is the Whitefish Rotary Sergeant at Arms and belongs to the Moose Lodge.

Wise joins Richard Hildner and Johnathan W. Anderson in the race to fill three council seats. The terms of Whitefish council members Ryan Friel, John Muhlfeld and Turner Askew will expire at the end of the year. Askew said he is not running for re-election.

Muhlfeld has filed for mayor; current Mayor Mike Jenson’s term expires at the end of the year.

The deadline to file for city elections is June 30.

According to the Flathead County website, no one has filed yet for three council seats in Columbia Falls, where the terms of Harvey Reikofski, Julie Plevel and Doug Karper are up for grabs.

In Kalispell, incumbent Kari Gabriel remains unopposed in Ward 1 and no one has filed for the Ward 4 seat held by Duane Larson. There’s a three-way race in Ward 2 including incumbent Wayne Saverud, Chad Graham and Erik Jeude. In Ward 3, Walter Keathley is so far the lone candidate for Randy Kenyon’s seat.