Good afternoon, Beacon readers! Following a summer free of Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheons, the business community on Tuesday reunited at the Red Lion Hotel located in the Kalispell Center Mall for a candidate forum as the general election approaches this November.

The mystery meat flew off the buffet line and water glasses clanked as the audience heard from a handful of local candidates including Flathead County District Court judges Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson, who are facing off for the open seat on the Montana Supreme Court, along with a handful of Kalispell legislative candidates.

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce CEO Lorraine Clarno cautioned the candidate forum could be the organization’s last if ballot initiative I-194, or “The Montana Plan,” passes.

The ballot measure is designed to keep corporate and dark money out of elections, but chamber leaders argue the initiative’s language limits business entities from contributing to candidates, political parties and state ballot issues.

While the chamber supports keeping dark and out-of-state money out of Montana elections, Clarno said it draws no distinction between the broad range of races and the measure could hurt communities.

“When it comes to local issues, I think all of you know we supported our school levy a couple years ago that hadn’t passed in 18 years,” Clarno said. “We worked with our county partners to get the detention center passed, and we worked with the City of Kalispell on the emergency responders levy and really used our channels and your business voices to get facts and information out – and yes – to influence the election.”

If The Montana Plan passes, Clarno said the chamber would be barred from hosting events like candidate forums.

“This may be our last forum,” Clarno said.

As newcomers and veteran lawmakers converged on the stage during the forum moderated by Flathead Industries Vice President of Operations Mitch McKinley, candidates outlined their stances on a theme central to the chamber of commerce: taxes.

After the 2025 Legislature passed a tax reform package designed to lower taxes for most homeowners, some Kalispell business owners saw a disproportionate tax spike of up to 40% on their commercial buildings resulting from the unintended consequences of House Bill 231 and Senate Bill 542.

Lukas Schubert, the 21-year-old Kalispell Republican who represented House District 8 as a freshman lawmaker last session, said he voted for the tax reform package because it benefitted his constituents in Evergreen.

Schubert instead blamed the City of Kalispell’s budget, tax increment finance districts and the rise in school taxes for commercial property tax spikes.

“I think we need to continue to push forward for legislation – like I sponsored last session – to limit the ability of local governments and of school districts to continuously raise your property taxes,” Schubert said.

Schubert’s opponent, contractor and Democratic candidate Calvin Lime, said the tax reform benefits outweighed the costs since most property owners experienced a lower rate.

“I think that a lot of things can be addressed across the board, but I do believe right now the hurt that we’re talking about is not the hurt of the people that are working in Evergreen, not the hurt of the people that are here volunteering as firefighters and the teachers,” Lime said.

Addressing income taxes, too, are a top priority for the chamber after Gov. Greg Gianforte earlier this month launched an initiative to promote a flat income tax rate of 4.7%, which he says will boost the state’s economy.

For tax year 2027, single incomes below $65,000 are already at a 4.7% rate and would not be affected by a flat rate if legislation is passed. The current tax rate for single incomes over $65,000 is 5.4%.

Jim Riley, the Republican candidate for House District 6, supports a flat tax because he said it will lower income taxes.

“I am committed to working on taxes and to lower them for everybody so that we can all put more money in our pockets,” Riley said. “As business owners, we work hard for that money.”

Riley’s Democratic opponent, Darren Fix, said he opposes a flat tax because it’s only lowering the rate for higher income earners.

“We’re lowering the tax rates for the people that can afford to live here and we’re leaving the tax rates the same for the people who are struggling,” Fix said.

Stay tuned for more Beacon election coverage headed your way in the coming weeks. Absentee ballots will be mailed out on Oct. 9.

I’m Maggie Dresser, here’s the rest of the Daily Roundup.