Democrat wants a hard look at the issues

Coram businesswoman Stacey Schnebel, 36, says she’ll ask the tough questions no matter what issue she tackles as county commissioner, and she says she has the leadership skills to get the job done.

“I will do the research, ask the questions and consider all opposing viewpoints in order to make sound decisions — every time,” the Democratic candidate for county commissioner said.

Schnebel has already sat through key commissioner proceedings and met with county leaders to learn about the issues at hand.

On zoning, Schnebel says the small-business environment is evolving in the Flathead, and home-based businesses are the wave of the future. She supports a recent proposal to amend zoning regulations to allow more traffic to and from home-based businesses.

“We need to allow residents to make a living,” she said.

Schnebel supports recycling and would like to see if the solid waste budget could support a recycling program.

“It’s our duty moving forward into the future to be responsible stewards of our county, and recycling is part of that,” she said.

Schnebel described renovation of the historic jail building near the main courthouse and construction of a Agency on Aging building nearby as expected capital improvements and “a matter of spending the money we’ve saved.”

She also opposes privatizing aging services because private businesses “exist to turn a profit.” The county should focus on helping seniors stay in their homes longer, she said, which would save the government money in the long run.

She also approved of reclaiming unused property-tax mills from past years and levying them to pay for an expansion of the county jail.

“The county has a lot of needs, and it makes sense to be planning for the future,” she said.

As for using the money to build a community gymnasium, Schnebel said she’s not convinced a gym is a necessity right now.

“I’d need to see exactly what we’d spend the money on and take into account what county residents think,” she said.

On the proposed Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes water compact, Schnebel said she has faith in the compact commission that already has reached 17 successful agreements with Montana’s six other tribes.

“If I specifically wanted to affect the water compact, I would be running for state legislature,” she said.

Schnebel wants the county to be hospitable to traditional natural resource businesses, but thinks it should also anticipate and be welcoming to evolving industries that could choose to locate here. That future includes the growing number of trains delivering Bakken crude to the West Coast.

“The county should take a proactive approach to the hazards that accompany the increase in oil train traffic,” she said. “We have both a significant population and extremely sensitive resources nestled up to the BNSF lines.”

Schnebel supports the referendum for creation of a district to fund the county’s 911 emergency dispatch system.

“There is an absolute need to secure funding for the ongoing upkeep of the high-tech equipment that is the backbone of the EMS service,” she said. “We know from the efficient countywide response to the [recent] Plum Creek explosion that our new system works. Now we need to commit to supporting it with this mill levy. The price to the taxpayer seems more than fair as compared to the benefits we receive.”