Letters to the editor April 18

Re-elect Pierson

I am expressing my support for Debbie Pierson in her re-election campaign for Flathead County Clerk Recorder. Debbie is finishing her second term of service and has performed exceptionally well for all our citizens.

Debbie has developed a great staff that provides efficient, effective and friendly service for the land records, birth and death records, elections and records preservation departments.

Debbie is well qualified and has a proven track record over these past seven plus years. She leads her office with dedication, honesty and integrity. Please join me in voting for Debbie Pierson at the June Primary Elections.

— Lois Lauman, Lakeside

Bukacek cares

I am voting for Dr. Annie Bukacek for Public Service Commissioner. Dr. Annie is very smart and she has always cared a lot about our community. I know she will represent me with utilities and other important issues that I care about.

— Frances Young, Lakeside

Fallon for commissioner

I support Jack Fallon for County Commissioner. He served as president of the Evergreen Fire District where he succeeded in building a new fire station. As president of the Evergreen water and sewer board, he garnered grassroots support for a new sewage collection system. He served as vice-chair of the School District 5 board, where he is currently chairman of the finance and technology committees.

Jack understands the importance of open discussion. He researches an issue before coming to a decision and won’t make appointments to boards without input from a variety of sources. He believes in compromise and listens to multiple points of view before making a decision. He believes in transparency and in civility. He believes in the importance of recreation as shown by his life-long support of youth soccer and hockey. He is also a fiscal conservative.

Over the last years, Pam Holmquist and her fellow commissioners have made disastrous decisions. They have illegally permitted the “bridge to nowhere,” approved a resort on Lake Five, and issued a contested permit for a water bottling plant costing the county and individuals thousands of dollars in legal battles. Their appointments to the library and health boards have created chaos, distrust and resignations.

While Flathead County has the fastest growing population in Montana, the commissioners failed to create and manage an adequate budget. They turned down requests for more Sheriff’s Office deputies and turned away $500,000 per year from revenue on cannabis made available by the state. They rejected a trail plan despite overwhelming community support.

We need new leadership to create a new county jail, to fund the Sheriff’s Office, maintain our roads, support a trail system, and address issues of affordable housing.

Jack Fallon has the experience, people skills and credentials the commission needs.

— Carol Santa, Kalispell

Supports Parce

I recently attended a round table discussion with Jason Parce, who has thrown his hat in the ring to become our new Flathead County Commissioner. There were a dozen or so of us present, and we were invited to discuss anything and everything with him. He was up front, open and honest, and very much in tune with the needs for our county. We were together for most of three hours and he would have stayed longer, but we finally ran out of questions.

I have attended commissioner meetings in order to voice my opinion when there were major contentious matters being decided upon, but never felt that my opinions truly mattered. But I never understood as Jason does what really goes on behind the scenes.

Because he served on our Kalispell police force for 15+ years in several capacities, and has spent countless hours listening to the public, Jason knows the good, the bad and the ugly, particularly regarding county budget issues, public safety and purchase and sale of county property, all of which the commissioners have oversight. It was enlightening and encouraging to hear his well thought out approach, if elected, for accomplishing his goals.

Jason’s knowledge and experience will be indispensable as a county commissioner. I feel confident that he will work for us to make sure our tax dollars are not wasted but spent wisely.

I would highly recommend that, if you have a small group of friends and are not yet sure who you want to represent you on the county commissioners board then please, reach out to Jason. He is very open to such meetings, actually preferring the one-on-one intimacy for sharing his background, answering your questions and letting you know how he would function as a commissioner.

— John O’Neil, Kalispell