Six running for city council

The Columbia Falls City Council will actually have a race this election cycle.

The terms of Columbia Falls City Council members Julie Plevel, Darin Fisher and Doug Karper expire at the end of the year. Incumbents Fisher and Karper are running for re-election.

There are also four new candidates running for the three open positions: Erick Robbins, John Piper, Shawn Bates and Tyler Furry.

Fisher moved to the city in 2009 when he got the trails manager position at the Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger District. He lives here with his wife, Carla, and three-year-old daughter Hazel. They are also opening Backslope Brewery later in the year.

He said that his first term had a high learning curve, but now he has the "hang of things" and he wants to continue to be involved in the city. He isn't afraid of a little competition either.

"Whether I win or lose I'm glad to see so many involved," he said

Karper has lived here since 1986. He met his wife Colleen here in the early '70s while in the Air Force in Great Falls. They have been married for 42 years.

He is the head of the maintenance and custodial department at School District 6 and has worked there for 25 years.

He is running again because he's not done.

"I feel like I still have something to offer Columbia Falls," he said. "I like the direction we are heading, while still being progressive."

He has been involved in many city government positions and local organizations, and involved in city council since the '90s.

Robbins has lived here for 11 years. He is a real estate agent at RE/MAX Mountain View, since 2003. His wife Jennifer teaches at Columbia Falls Junior High. Their three children George, 11, Sophia, 9 and Ella, 5, will attend local schools in the fall.

This is his first time running for office and it is an "honor and a privilege," he said.

"I have long aspired to have a more active role in city government, and with the recent swell of energy, excitement and economic development Columbia Falls has experienced, I thought now was a perfect time to become more involved," he said in an email last week.

Piper was born and raised here. His wife, Tina, two children and grandson live in the Columbia Falls area.

He originally decided to run because at the time there were fewer candidates than available positions.

He said that he wanted the city to have "better representation and interest" and for the people to have a choice in who represents them.

Piper is glad to be in the race.

"Due to my longevity I thought I would be a good liaison for the community," he said.

Furry has lived here for just over two years. He is a web developer and designer for Zaneray in Whitefish and worked there since 2012. Furry and his wife, Megan, have two boys.

This is his first venture into city government, yet he has always been interested in being involved in the community he lives in.

"I think Columbia Falls is an up and coming city," he said. "It is changing a lot and I want to help guide that."

Bates, who has previously been a councilmember, did not respond to phone messages and emails before presstime.