In a midterm election characterized by palpable partisan divides in some areas of the Flathead Valley, the race for House District 9 has largely been a quiet one.
Republican incumbent Scott Reichner is running against Democrat challenger Neal Brown in a historically conservative, 429-square-mile district that encompasses Bigfork and parts of Lake County along the east shore of Flathead Lake.
As the incumbent, Reichner said he has stayed busy in the interim. The statewide property reappraisal caused an uproar among his constituents, Reichner said, and prompted him to hold two town-hall style meetings with concerned residents.
There were plenty of suggested solutions offered during those meetings, he said, and he plans on bringing them with him to Helena if reelected.
“We had a lot of people rightfully upset,” Reichner said. “They were concerned about being taxed out of their homes.”
Reichner plans on presenting seven bills in 2011 aimed at adjusting the reappraisal process. The first would attempt to bring property valuations back to the 2002 levels, he said.
Other bills would try to establish maximum and minimum caps on assessments; allow Montanans to appeal their tax valuations any time; ensure all employees at the assessor’s office are certified appraisers; establish senior citizen credits and review public land lease processes.
Reichner also hopes to shift the burden of proof of accurate valuation to the state instead of the landowner.
“I want to have them shift it so they have to prove their valuations are correct,” Reichner said. “The burden of proof needs to be upon the Department of Revenue to be correct. Why scare everybody to death? Why make mistakes? Why does the homeowner have to do all the cleanup work?”
Aside from reappraisal issues, Reichner, who owns Flathead Mortgage, also believes DUI laws need to be “clamped down,” and he said there are several options already being proposed by other lawmakers that he may consider supporting.
The economy and jobs will also be on Reichner’s agenda. He said the state needs to attract more businesses, which would include working on the business equipment tax and adjusting workman’s compensation as well.
“I think we can develop our state legislation to fine tune things to make it more business friendly,” Reichner said.
As the Democratic challenger, Neal Brown said he is running a quiet campaign. The first-time political candidate said he does not consider himself a politician, and has made no moves to become one.
“I’m not soliciting any funds, I’m not out planting signs; I’m not doing any of the things a politician does,” Brown said.
A Bigfork resident for 25 years with a chocolate distribution business, Brown sees himself rather as an outsider to party politics. He said he would make a stand for his issues and would not back down when the pressure comes.
“I’m not a mainstream Democrat, whatever that is,” Brown said. “I chart my own course.”
Education is his top priority, Brown said, and if elected he would work toward fully funding the public school system. A well-educated populace is to everyone’s benefit, he added.
Living in a district with plenty of waterfront property, Brown said he has heard complaints about the latest round of property reappraisals from the state, and he is concerned about residents who live on a fixed income.
“Property values have gone beyond their means as far as taxes go,” Brown said.
High property taxes might also affect the first-time homebuyer’s market, he noted.
The Legislature will most likely approach the issue of medical marijuana in the upcoming session, and Brown said though he thinks marijuana can be a legitimate treatment for some people, there is not a lot of oversight as the law is currently written.
If elected, Brown said he would like to serve on environmental committees because of his concerns for conservation and water quality.
“The quality of our natural world is of real importance to me,” Brown said.
The general election is Nov. 2. Absentee ballots will be available until Nov. 1.