Ex-commissioner Dale Williams leaves unique legacy

Former Flathead County Commissioner Dale Williams, known for his iron-fisted style and conservative approach to planning and property-rights issues, died Friday at age 62.

Williams, a Republican who was a tax accountant, served as commissioner from 1997 to 2002. He lost his re-election bid in the 2002 primary election to Gary Hall and also was defeated by Hall in the 2002 general election when Williams ran as a write-in candidate.

Williams made headlines in the late 1990s when he pushed for the county to withdraw from the Flathead Regional Development Office, essentially abolishing that organization and revamping the planning process countywide by forcing cities to regroup with their own planning efforts.

He also made news in 2000 when he took a Montana Department of Transportation traffic engineer and county Road Superintendent Charlie Johnson on high-speed rides down Willow Glen Drive and Whitefish Stage Road to prove his point that posted state speed limits on those roads were too high.

Williams admitted driving on Willow Glen at 55 mph and Whitefish Stage at 70 mph in a county-owned car. A snowstorm and no snow tires stopped plans to drive up Big Mountain Road at 55 mph. Williams was accused of refusing to let the state official and county road boss out of the car. He later pleaded no contest and paid a $200 fine for two disorderly conduct charges.

“Dale had real strong feelings about different things in the county and worked to support those things,” said former Commissioner Howard Gipe, who served on the commission with Williams.

Gipe said he didn’t agree with Williams “on most things,” but acknowledged that Williams “was a hard worker.”

Bob Watne, another former commissioner who served with Williams, said “he had his ideas about how to do things,” but Watne said he believes Williams always had the county’s best interest in mind.

“I think he was a good commissioner,” Watne added.

Both Gipe and Watne said Williams struggled with severe diabetes during his time on the commission, but noted he didn’t let the disease get in the way of doing his job.

Williams said in 2002 that he had made good on a campaign promise to lower the taxes assessed by the county. He also maintained taxpayers benefited from the reorganization that allowed the county to create its own planning office, though his opponents at the time argued it set planning back 25 years in Flathead County.

Local property rights advocate Russ Crowder said it took a lot of courage for Williams to pull the county out of the Flathead Regional Development Office.

“He took on a lot of tough issues and property owners should be grateful,” Crowder said, but added that “unfortunately a lot of it didn’t work out like it should have” after Hall was elected and Democrat Joe Brenneman later became a commissioner.

“Dale was a real Republican in a county that hasn’t had a lot of those in recent years,” Crowder said.

Williams spearheaded the creation of the Montana Coalition of Forest Counties, a group that worked alongside the National Forest Counties & Schools Coalition to pursue legislation to provide federal funding for counties with large amounts of federal land.

He also tirelessly testified at Congressional hearings, lobbied legislators and the governor and represented the county at meetings on a variety of topics.

During his re-election campaign in 2002, Williams said he had a hand in creating 1,300 new jobs in the county and pointed out he was the one to propose the Flathead County Economic Development Authority that to this day continues to work alongside Montana West Economic Development.

But amid his accomplishments there often was controversy.

Prior to his re-election bid, Williams was criticized for having three years' worth of delinquent property taxes on his home. He said the delinquency was due to family financial concerns and claimed he was planning to pay the taxes before he filed for office in February 2002. He issued a public apology.

Williams’ public service stretched back decades, to his time on the Kalispell City Council from 1974 to 1978.

Most recently, Williams was involved in discussions about county planning in 2009, when he suggested then-Planning Director Jeff Harris should resign or be fired. Williams cited a lack of transparency in neighborhood planning and the way county expenses were handled.

Williams was a fifth-generation Montanan and Flathead High School graduate. He earned a degree in history under a pre-law curriculum at Ripon College in Wisconsin.

He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter and was involved in numerous organizations such as Montanans for Multiple Use, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Friends of the National Rifle Association.

Among his survivors are his wife, Brenda, son Sean, daughter-in-law Beth and his parents, Warren and Marjorie Williams.

Funeral services for Williams are pending. A full obituary is forthcoming.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.