Thanks for voting

I want to say thanks to all of the 7,708 voters who turned out to vote for me in the primary. It's truly exciting that so many folks support a new direction in county politics, a direction away from the politics of the past and toward a vision for the future that respects everyone's rights while taking care of this place we call home.

Some of the issues that will take center stage during the coming months will include property rights, growth that is fiscally responsible, and economic vitality. All of these issues are directly related to planning for our future, and I look forward to discussing these issues in public over the summer and into the fall.

I know growth is on many people's minds because I've been listening to you. Impacts from traffic congestion, road dust, unsafe intersections, degraded water quality, rising taxes and decreasing services will continue to affect us all unless our county government begins to plan for the future.

Our county leaders must start looking out for the best interests of the people who live right here in Flathead County and not just those looking for a quick and short-term profit.

To reasonably plan for our future, we need county leadership that encompasses a wide perspective. Jim Dupont deserves credit for his service as sheriff in the past, but the commissioner's office requires a much broader focus that includes a long-term plan for the future.

I am the candidate for Flat-head County Commissioner who will bring this wide perspective to office next January.

I will work hard everyday to make sure that the Flathead remains a quality place to live and raise our families because I believe we have a duty to our kids to leave this place as special for them as it has been for us.

Now more than ever, we need to focus on the long-term, and I'm the candidate with the energy and the vision to meet the challenges ahead.

In November, you will have a clear choice between short-term vision that served us in the past and long-term vision that will carry us into the future. I encourage everyone to look closely at the issues and choose wisely. Our children's inheritance depends on it.

Feel free to call or e-mail me anytime, or visit my site www.stevequnell.com. A quality future for Flathead County includes you.

Steve Qunell

Whitefish