The recent Flathead Beacon article, “On Whitefish Lake, ‘Regulation Rodeo’ Reignites City-County Enforcement Rift,” raises renewed calls for shifting lakeshore authority from Flathead County to the City of Whitefish. That would be the wrong conclusion.
Flathead County already has lakeshore regulations in place under state law, and in practice, those regulations are generally administered responsibly. Using one highly publicized project as justification to expand city control or add layers of regulation is neither sound policy nor fair to the broader community.
I strongly oppose any move toward expanded municipal jurisdiction or a countywide building permit system. Based on extensive professional experience working in both the City of Whitefish and the City of Kalispell, municipal building departments add cost, delay, and frustration without producing meaningfully better engineering or architectural outcomes. Good projects are delivered by competent licensed professionals—not by excessive bureaucracy.
The claim that Flathead County “lacks oversight” is misleading. What the county provides is a system based on clear jurisdiction and professional accountability rather than regulatory micromanagement. More government will not protect Whitefish Lake—it will only increase costs, slow projects, and fuel more conflict.
Whitefish Lake does not need additional layers of authority. It needs clarity, consistency, and restraint. Flathead County should retain lakeshore jurisdiction outside city limits, and it should not be pressured into surrendering that responsibility.
Marc Liechti
Lakeside