Local attorney Tammi Fisher announced Tuesday she is throwing her hat into the ring to run for mayor of Kalispell. She will challenge incumbent Pam Kennedy, who has yet to file, but has said she intends to run for a third term.
Fisher, a former Flathead County prosecuting attorney, opened her own private law firm several years ago. In that time, she has not shied away from representing sides in some of the area’s most contentious legal disputes.
In the ongoing legal battle between Flathead County and the city of Whitefish over which municipality controls the “planning doughnut,” a residential and business area surrounding downtown Whitefish, Fisher was hired by the “People of the Doughnut” last year to scrutinize the interlocal agreement governing the area.
Fisher also represented state lawmaker and West Valley farmer Bruce Tutvedt as he tried to reopen and operate a gravel pit over the strident objections of a neighborhood group called Flathead Citizens for Quality Growth. And when Libby judge Gary D. Hicks was accused of offering female defendants in his court leniency in exchange for sexual favors, Fisher took up his case. The state Judicial Standards Commission recommended in October that Hicks be removed from office.
Fisher was encouraged to run for mayor by a group of business owners and professionals seeking candidates for local office, according to the release, and they felt she had the qualifications to help dig Kalispell out of its “financial hole.”
“Now it’s my turn to give back to the community that has given my family so much,” Fisher said in the release. “I look forward to working with professionals and community people alike as we bring Kalispell back to solvency.”
Fisher is the mother of two boys and her husband passed away several years ago from cancer. She is a graduate of the University of Montana and UM Law School.
With the office of mayor and four city council seats up for grabs, as well as the imminent hiring of a new city manager, Kalispell has the potential to have a number of new leaders at its helm.
But as of Tuesday, the only challenger for a Kalispell City Council seat is Marc Rold. Incumbent council members Jim Atkinson, Bob Hafferman, Tim Kluesner and Hank Olson have all filed for reelection.
In Whitefish, three challengers have filed for three open city council seats: Phillip Mitchell, Bill Kahle, and Chris Hyatt. The three seats on the council are currently held by Frank Sweeney, Nick Palmer and Nancy Woodruff. Brad Johnson has filed for reelection for city judge.
In Columbia Falls, Matthew McConville has filed to run for city council, where three seats are up for grabs. Incumbents Michael Shepard and Don Barnhart have also filed for reelection. Mayor Jolie B. Fish’s term expires at the end of 2009 as well.
All city offices are nonpartisan, and the filing deadline is July 2.