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2018 General Election Q & A: House District 3

Incumbent Democrat Zac Perry vs. Republican Jerry O'Neill

By Tristan Scott
Republican Jerry O'Neil, left, and incumbent Democrat Zac Perry.

1.  How do you intend to balance the state budget?

2. What taxes are you willing to increase, if any?

3. Are there any services you are willing to cut?

4. How do you plan to foster economic growth in the Flathead Valley?

5. What role should state government play in managing federal public lands, and how should those management activities be funded?

6. What are the most urgent issues facing your district?

Name: Zac Perry

Age: 40

Occupation: Cashier and delivery driver at O’Brien’s Liquor & Wine, Substitute teacher at Columbia Falls High School

Political Experience: Served in the 2015 and 2017 Montana Legislature representing House District 3. 2016 State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee, 2018 Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Place of Residence: 715 Spotted Bear Road, Martin City

1. We balance the budget by prioritizing essential public services like education, healthcare, and law enforcement. We must be thoughtful and disciplined in constructing the state budget, relying on the most conservative revenue estimates we receive during the session.

2. We need to look at how we can generate revenue from the millions of visitors we have to our state annually.  What I am not in favor of is a statewide sales tax, which is regressive and disproportionately burdens low income families.

3. As a legislative body, what we choose to fund reflects our values. The cuts we made during the recent special session were devastating to our most vulnerable, especially in the area of mental health.  We have a lot of work to do to make those programs and services whole.

4. I believe a number of factors contribute to fostering economic growth in the Flathead.  We must insure that we have a friendly business environment.  We need to address the issue of affordable housing.  It is imperative that we renew our commitment to funding public education so that our graduates are prepared to join the workforce.

5. I support the idea of having a standing committee made up of state and federal representatives collaborating on public lands management.  It must be understood that we are all public land owners and that we need to play an active role in protecting these lands and our access to them.

6. As a community, we face many urgent issues from healthcare costs and affordable housing to the impacts of meth, heroine, and opioid addiction.  Folks are also passionate about the protection and preservation of our public lands.  I hope to have the opportunity to address these issues during the 2019 legislative session.

Name: Jerry O’Neil

Age: 75

Occupation: Independent Paralegal

Political Experience: First elected to the Montana Senate in 2000, representing the residents of Evergreen and north to the Flathead River on the south border of Columbia Falls.

Political Affiliation: Republican

Place of Residence: Walsh Road, southwest of Columbia Falls

1. As in the past, to balance the budget I will do everything I can do to empower my neighbors through their private organizations including: the Eagles, Elks, Odd Fellows, Moose, Mormons, Lutherans, Catholics, Shriners, and other religious and fraternal organizations, to take care of the neediest among us. I will also continue to vote for honest, streamlined, governmental provision of services such as that provided at the Veterans’ Home in Columbia Falls.

2. I believe we can continue to perform our governmental obligations without raising any taxes.

3. I will also continue to vote for honest, streamlined, governmental provision of services such as that provided at the Veterans’ Home in Columbia Falls. I believe we can continue to perform our governmental obligations without raising any taxes.

4. We are presently providing government clinics exclusively for the employees of Montana State government. My preference would be to transfer these clinics to the private sector where they can provide benefits to my neighbors who do not have the benefit of state provided wages, insurance and retirement. It amazes me how many private businesses there are close to my home; most of them operating on un-zoned property outside the jurisdiction of any municipality. Can you imagine a company making plastic manhole covers, zinc batteries, or fancy gun barrels? To continue the growth of these businesses I will attempt to leave them free of governmental overreach.

5. I believe we should have a legislative oversight committee explore how many acres and what type of federal lands the state should manage. Can we increase the albedo effect on these lands to increase global cooling without hampering the recreational use of these lands? We are presently showing a net income from our state lands; can we expect to increase this income if we take on more lands? These are questions that need to be answered before the state takes over the management of any more lands.