Warns about hand-picked county candidate

I have known Stacey Schnebel for nearly a decade. I have worked with her on many community projects. I have seen her raise two beautiful children while building two successful businesses, and still find time to support multiple community causes.

I have learned that one of her core strengths is her deep belief in her community, and in the people she lives and works with. She works tirelessly to give back to those around her. She is exactly what we should look for in a local government representative.

In election periods like this one, we all talk of trying to reduce the influence of special interest groups seeking to manipulate the rules of law to their own advantage. So let’s not turn a blind eye when those forces are at work right here in our own community.

Stacey’s opponent has been hand-picked by a group of folks determined to undermine the basic intent of our local government — to fairly and justly protect and serve all of our citizens. Instead, their goal is to roll back progress and open up our beautiful valley to rampant unregulated development.

Stacey is a person of reason. That is such a hard quality to promote in divisive times such as these. It is so much easier to grandstand, to spout platitudes about polarizing issues, and to attack the opposition, rather than discuss the issues that matter.

And these issues matter. The Flathead County Commission, along with our municipal governments, is our closest level of government. The commissioners speak directly for us in matters that affect our daily lives — approving subdivisions, protecting our aquifers, building and maintaining our roads and basic infrastructure, and many other close-to-home issues, and their decisions will echo for decades.

When you vote for commissioner in November, you will be selecting someone to represent you and your needs every day for the next six years. Will you give this power to someone who answers to a very select special interest group favoring unregulated development?

Or would you rather place your confidence in a candidate who is determined to learn all the facts, to weigh all the issues carefully and to hear all sides? To someone who believes that the best solutions come from discussion, education and compromise? To someone who will take the time to learn the issues, to prepare for meetings, to listen to the arguments and make an intelligent decision on behalf of our community?

Stacey has always approached everything she is involved in with a bulldog spirit and a determination to give it all of her effort. She is an educated, successful and talented person. I am proud to support her for Flathead County Commissioner, and I ask that you cast your vote for reason and intelligence, and say no to those who are trying to pack the commission with predetermined votes.

Barry B. Conger lives in Columbia Falls.