I was happy to hear Jack Fallon is running as a write-in-candidate for commissioner. I don’t know Jack, but I know he is a retired financial planner, so he understands investments, budgeting, and long-range planning. He has served on several relevant boards including, Evergreen’s water and sewer, fire district and school board. He volunteers as a firefighter. He obviously understands how local government works.
My experience with Pam Holmquist is not positive. In 2016 she approved a water bottling plant that would fill 725 million one-liter bottles of water annually from our diminishing aquifer. She either failed to consider the science available or chose to ignore it. The result has been six years of litigation.
She voted to approve a 500-foot bridge to Dockstader Island in violation of the County’s Lakeshore Protection Regulations – again lengthy litigation. She routinely ignores the County Growth Policy and apparently pays little attention to public comments.
She has appointed political trustees to the Library Board who have no experience and are doing their best to destroy a community jewel. They hired an unqualified head librarian costing the library system $35,000 in state funding. The toxic atmosphere created by these political appointees has resulted in staff resignations, poor morale and loss of private funds.
The Sheriff’s Department has been underfunded for 10 years, yet is asked to deal with more people, increased crime and 911 calls.
Flathead County needs someone not driven by political ideology but someone who looks forward to the needs of the people. Fallon applies a test to his decisions “what is consistent with our values produces the greatest good for the greatest number while providing the greatest help to those who need it most.” I like that approach.
Mary Garner
Kalispell