Holmquist and Mitchell deserve our thanks

Thank you, County Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Phil Mitchell, for standing up for the citizens of Flathead County on two major issues as follows:

First, thank you for the strong, articulate, opposition letter you recently wrote regarding the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Water Compact. You stated very valid fatal flaws within the compact in your recent opposition letter.

The fact that the compact grants off-reservation rights that affect all the citizens in Flathead County is a fatal flaw that needs to be corrected. Your letter presents a point-by-point description of what needs to be changed in this flawed compact to make it acceptable to the people of Flathead County.

I assure you that the overwhelming majority of citizens in Flathead County support your efforts to protect our water rights. Thank you very much for standing up for us on this important issue.

Second, I want to thank you for your efforts to keep the costs in check on the multi-million-dollar brand new building to house the Agency on Aging facilities.

We were told that the project budget would be $6 million. The final cost tally ended up being around $7 million, about $1 million over the proposed budget. But thanks to your recent efforts, Commissioners Holmquist and Mitchell, the price tag has been trimmed around a quarter million dollars. Those cost-cutting measures were accomplished as a direct result of your efforts, Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Holmquist, and we as taxpayers really appreciate it. —Jeff H. Larsen, Lakeside