fbpx

Two Incumbents, One Newcomer Win Columbia Falls Council Election

By Beacon Staff

Following a tight election that saw a fairly even dispersal of votes between five candidates, the Columbia Falls City Council is welcoming two incumbents back while also greeting a fresh face.

Incumbents Don Karper, 59, and Julie Plevel, 57, garnered the most votes in the Nov. 8 city council election with 270 and 250, respectively, according to unofficial results from the Flathead County Election Department.

Darin Fisher, 34, secured the third and final open seat on the six-member council with 248 votes. The youngest candidate in the race, 29-year-old Samantha Johnson, received 225 votes and incumbent Harvey Reikofski Jr., 61, received 194 votes.

“I’m excited and I have a lot to learn,” Fisher said last week. “It’s going to be a process and I’m happy to learn.”

While Columbia Falls’ 16 percent voter turnout was miniscule compared to neighboring Whitefish’s 53 percent turnout, it was actually the most voters the city has seen in at least two council election cycles. Kalispell, using a mail-in ballot system for the first time, had a 28 percent voter turnout this year. Whitefish also uses mail-in ballots, while Columbia Falls conducts voting at traditional polling places.

According to the Flathead County Election Department, voter turnout in the 2009 Columbia Falls City Council election was 13.9 percent. In 2007, only 154 ballots were counted, putting voter turnout at 6 percent. Both elections had four candidates on the ballot, but were considered uncontested after a candidate dropped out.

Plevel, who has been on the council since 2005, said she doesn’t recall previous councils considering switching to a mail-in ballot system but thinks it would be a worthwhile conversation.

“We might want to have that discussion prior to the next election to try to get a better turnout,” Plevel said.

Given the quiet nature of Columbia Falls city politics, this year’s crowded candidate field appeared to signify a rise in interest for the council race, particularly among younger residents.

Initially, Shane Hutcheson declared his candidacy, giving the race three candidates under 40 years old. But upon discovering he lived outside of city limits, Hutcheson had to withdraw from the race, leaving the field with five candidates.

Karper, who works in maintenance for School District 6, has lived in the Flathead Valley for 26 years and has spent more than 12 years altogether on the council. Plevel, a real estate broker with Re/Max Mountain View, has been in the valley for 19 years.

“I’m very pleased to be reelected, and humbled,” Plevel said, adding that she looks forward to working with Fisher.

Fisher, a trails technician for the U.S. Forest Service, moved to the area three years ago. As a newcomer to the council, he said he doesn’t have an agenda beyond helping out his community.

“Right now it’s about getting my feet wet and getting involved,” he said.