Primary election candidate profiles

The Bitterroot Star gave all candidates in this election cycle the same set of questions:
• Why are you running for this office and why are you the best candidate for this position?
• What issues will be your focus?
• What sort of experience do you have, i.e. jobs, businesses, political offices held?
• Any other comments?
Following are their responses, in their own words.

County Commissioners

District 2

 

Jay Blakslee

Age: 70

Republican

Victor

I am running for Ravalli County Commissioner D2 as a way to give back to the community I have lived in for many years. I feel my long history of successful business, accountability, fairness, honesty and timeless work ethic could make Ravalli County a better place to live. As a concerned citizen of the Valley, it’s time for a change in leadership.
The issues that I will be focusing on are as follows:
• Require accountability and a strong work ethic
• Work towards a more harmonious relationship between the Forest Service, State and Local Government to control our natural resources
• Protect person, property and water rights
• Eliminate wasteful spending and create a more conservative budget
• Stimulate new job growth
• Improve county road maintenance program
In summary: make our communities safer, healthier and more prosperous
40+ years as a successful businessman has given me experience far beyond many of my contemporaries. Leadership, organization, budgets, management, planning, scheduling and developing are some of my qualifications which only come from my extensive experience.
I have served on several company boards and organizations as a Director rising to the position of President, receiving numerous accommodations including one from President George W. Bush, Presidential Volunteer Award. I co-founded the largest nationwide 501(c)3 for renovation and new construction to accommodate transitional homeless men, women and children. To date, there are 16 chapters with over 410 completed shelters. The largest to date was at a cost of $24 million, all donated.
I am a fiscal conservative that enjoys flyfishing with my grandchildren, a strong 2nd Amendment supporter and long time NRA member that looks forward to hunting season and a Proud Veteran that supports a strong military.

 

Greg Chilcott, incumbent
Age: 56
Party: Republican
Stevensville
The current Board of Commissioners is a well-functioning and productive organization. This commission works well together and has great chemistry. Decisions are based on the citizens’ best interests, not politics. I want to continue to contribute to this effort.
I love this county. I was born here and understand our customs, culture and heritage. I have grandchildren growing up here in Ravalli County and it is my desire to leave a legacy of local opportunity for their generation. I am also blessed to have a job that I love. This job is about helping our neighbors find solutions to their problems. It is about making our citizens’ lives better.
I believe my strengths are: willingness to listen, approachability, accountability, a strong desire to learn and a knowledge of county law and procedure.
I have been recognized as a leader statewide as the President of the Montana Association of Counties, Chairman of the Public Lands Committee, Chairman of Montana Forest Counties Coalition, Chairman of the Urban Counties of Montana, Chairman of Justice and Public Safety Committee and member of the National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering Committee. My advocacy and involvement has provided Ravalli County a voice at the state and national policy table.
Ultimately my focus is to provide for the health and safety of the citizens of Ravalli County. Specific issues that I will continue to focus on include:
• Being readily accessible and responsive to citizen requests;
• Developing a budget that provides the highest level of service to our citizens while providing sustainable capital and operating reserves;
• Working with Ravalli County Economic Development Authority to assist the private sector create and enhance economic opportunity in Ravalli County;
• Advocating the federal government pay 100% of their taxes just like the rest of us;
• Advocating for active forest management, public access to public lands and increased timber harvest; and
• Working with the best group of employees and elected officials in the State of Montana.
I have worked in a wide variety of jobs over my lifetime. I grew-up (and worked) on a small cattle ranch in Stevensville. I’ve worked construction, both heavy equipment (as a laborer and an operator) and framing while attending college. I have owned and operated several businesses in Montana and Alaska. I taught school in Alaska and worked in multiple management positions in local government. I was a regional vice-president and ultimately promoted to General Manager of a multi-state corporation. In all, I have nearly 35 years of management experience. I have never been afraid to roll up my sleeves and get dirty or to put on a jacket and tie to get the job done.
I was elected to the Village Council of South Naknek, Alaska and the Stevensville School Board and have served as your County Commissioner for three terms.
It has been my honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Ravalli County and hope to continue serving.
Dave Smith
Age: 60
Party: Democrat
Victor

I’m running for this office because I think I can make a positive difference for our county. Our senior commissioners have failed to do that and it is time for a change. We can do that, but not without a change in leadership. One case in point is the hiring of Valerie Stamey. Yes, Commissioner Chilcott voted against hiring her, but how much discussion was there about her resume and qualifications? A couple of phone calls to former employers might have shed some light on that; a background check would have been better. Commissioner Chilcott, into his third term in office by then, should have known better and should have shown some leadership on that decision.
When I hire someone, I always ask for references and I follow up.
I feel I am the best candidate for the position because of my 40-plus years running Smith Roofing. It takes about 10 years to build a good business and about 10 seconds to damage one. It’s like walking a tightrope – straight and narrow, above board and forthright. A good business is built on honesty and integrity. The money saved is as important as the profit made. I do everything I can to avoid litigation, first by keeping informed and adhering to the rules and regulations, and second by informing those I’m working for of all the aspects of the project and meeting with them to answer all their concerns and questions, and third by being willing to negotiate – not to mention meeting schedules, managing employees, making payroll, and negotiating policies such as worker’s comp and liability insurance, unemployment insurance, and much more.
I am acutely aware of the importance of all this. Last, and most importantly, when I go to work for you, I go to work for you. I show up on time, and I work hard until the work is done. I will earn a full-time paycheck.
In a recently published bio, Commissioner Chilcott claims that the county commissioner’s job is a way of life. It’s certainly been that for him for the past 15 years or so. Where does his sense of entitlement come from? Remember the old saying: Politicians are like babies. Both need to be changed once in awhile. It’s time for a change.
My focus will be fixing the potholes, providing for the health and welfare in our community, and making sure our county remains the best of the last best place.
The first job I held was “printer’s devil” at the Ravalli Republican. After school I worked for two to three hours mucking out the place and pouring the lead ingots for linotype machines. I had my own key to the office and came and went as needed. I held that job for two years – from 6th to 8th grade. Over the holidays I would put in well over 40 hours a week (and teased the owner-editor about violating child labor laws). I made $1 an hour, but after a year was given a 25-cent an hour raise. It was a lot of responsibility for a 12-year-old. I used the money I saved to purchase the rifles my Great Uncle Henry had collected. He had passed and my father and aunt were the sole heirs. Dad had the collection appraised and my aunt sold me her half. It was a solid investment; I still have them all to this day: pre-war, 4-digit serial number model 70 Winchesters and much older cowboy guns that would have a lot of collectors drooling. My kids have already laid claim to their favorites.
As a freshman in high school I took a roofing job. I’ve said enough about that already. It’s been good to me.
In college I studied fish and wildlife management. I believe my background in biology is another qualification. I understand scientific methods and studies we use to understand the natural world. As I like to joke, I still can’t fish, but I’m great at wildlife. I loved Montana history, creative writing and animal behavior. At the “cow college” I studied horsemanship and Meats 301, learning about carcass evaluation and cuts. I’ve slaughtered, processed and wrapped beef, pork and lamb.
These have been some of the jobs I’ve held and businesses I’ve run. I have never held a political position, other than high school vice-president.
I challenged Commissioner Chilcott for county commissioner in 2012. It was a great experience and I met a lot of wonderful people. I learned much about our county government and, well, about Commissioner Chilcott.
I’m always happy to speak to anyone. Feel free to call me at Smith Roofing: 642-6009.
Please cast a vote for me – and yourself – this November.

 

 

District 3

 

Chris Hoffman

Age: 58

Republican

Northeast of Corvallis

 

Now into my fourth term as sheriff, I have watched as several iterations of the Board of County Commissioners have promised to make local government more efficient, more transparent, and more citizen-friendly. Like many of you, I have instead run up against an ever-increasing level of partisan politics, and a system that has become so bureaucratic that it fights against itself in one of its most fundamental missions: delivery of services to our citizens.
Over the past several years, there has been a dynamic push to consolidate all authority in county government under the umbrella of the County Commissioners. That push is driven by the Montana Association of Counties (MACo), the group which represents County Commissioners, primarily, and also acts as the insurer for many counties in Montana. That philosophy is driven by the insurance side of MACo in the name of reducing liability. It has nothing to do with operating good government—for the people, by the people—and it certainly hasn’t protected the taxpayers of Ravalli County from poor decisions over the years.
While MACo itself acknowledges that “because a number of other county officials are elected directly by the people of the county, the commissioners cannot directly control all county policies,” they go on to say that even though the commissioners have to budget for these offices, they have little or no say in how they are run. My opponent’s take on state law and MACo’s ideas, in fact, usurps the will of the voter. You elect a Sheriff, a County Attorney, Treasurer, Clerk and Recorder, etc., all to carry out their specific duties as spelled out in state law. I am running for Commissioner because I know I can have a positive influence in returning the board to its fundamental duties: to oversee the fiscal affairs of the county and to ensure that other county officials follow state law with regards to budget. I want to see our Board of County Commissioners operating in a role that supports the delivery of services to our community instead of ultimately making it more difficult.
First, I want to be a strong influence in redirecting the energy of the board to focus on its statutory duties. I want to get them out of the business of day-to-day management of other elected offices, and reverse policies that take decisions out of the hands of the people you elected to make those decisions. I know how government is supposed to work. I know that elected officials fail us when they fail to listen to us. I know that our best chance for success in Ravalli County is for County Commissioners to use every resource available. That begins by counting on every other elected official and employee in our county, as well as business leaders, the philanthropic community, other municipal and state government entities, and most of all the citizens themselves.
I will focus on economic development in the valley, and advocate for business-friendly policies that will attract high tech and other clean industry. I will focus on ways to maintain and improve our critical infrastructure. I will work to enhance Ravalli County’s strategic advantage as an incredible place to live, work, play, and raise kids, and of course I will continue to focus on our public safety issues.
I have been a peace officer for the past 32 years, all but five years of that service here in the Bitterroot Valley. After serving in the military, I held a number of private-sector jobs, including radio broadcasting and working for my family in their business concerns in the dairy industry. My career in law enforcement began in Nashville, Tennessee, working as a patrol officer for five years. Upon returning to the Bitterroot, I worked for the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, and then for the Hamilton Police Department as a patrol officer, school resource officer, and detective, before being elected sheriff in 2002.
My 13-year tenure as sheriff has given me a great deal of experience working with other government entities, state and local officials, as well as our legislative delegations, both state and federal. I have served on and chaired several committees and advisory boards. I have earned Montana POST certificates Basic through Administrative as well as Basic and Advanced Coroner certifications; am a graduate of the FBI National Academy, National Sheriffs Institute, and Montana Sheriffs Institute. I have served on the board of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association since 2005 and am that organization’s immediate past president. I am also on the executive board of Western States Sheriffs Association, a position which has allowed me to bring Ravalli County’s voice to the table on many issues unique to the West.
Being an effective County Commissioner takes the strength and humility to understand what you don’t know and the willingness to seek out the experts who do know, and most importantly, the ability to listen to them. For 13 years, I have surrounded myself with the smartest people I could find, and I have counted on the support and human resources available in our community. The result? A strong, smooth-running organization which takes pride in what it contributes to our quality of life here. I will bring that same philosophy to the office of County Commissioner.
I’m a 1977 graduate of Corvallis High School, a U.S. Army veteran, and a life member of the NRA. My wife, Ginny, and I have been married for 37 years and have raised three children in the Bitterroot. We have four granddaughters and love spending as much time with them as we can. I enjoy the outdoors, fishing, hunting, the shooting sports, and riding my motorcycle when I get the chance. For more detailed information, please visit my website, chrishoffmanforcommissioner.com.

 

J.R. Iman, incumbent

Age: 67

Republican

Corvallis Class of 1967

In 2008, I made the commitment to run for Ravalli County Commissioner District 3. I believed that I could make a difference and bring my 40 years of private sector business experience in ranching, real estate, investment, and volunteer service to benefit the county.
I want to continue to keep your government transparent and accountable to the citizens of Ravalli County. For eight years I have combined common sense leadership and conservative fiscal management working with three different commission member combinations to manage Ravalli County business under difficult conditions.
Now, eight years later, I have earned the respect and confidence of the people of Ravalli County and I have the experience to serve the county in the coming term.
I like working with our dedicated elected officials, department heads, and employees who understand the needs of Ravalli County and share the responsibility to provide for those needs.
I could not do my job without the dedication and support of the people that work for Ravalli County. In every office you have offered your time, skills, and talents without reservation and come up with solutions to problems that we have encountered and solved over the last eight years.
I communicate regularly with people inside and outside of government who offer insight and suggest changes or offer solutions that can help me do a better job.
I respect and appreciate the skills, abilities, and experience of the present Commissioners. I am proud to serve with them, and I will continue to provide management of the essential governmental services delivered to our citizens at a reasonable cost to the taxpayer.
A better question than “Why are you the best candidate?” might be the following:
What would benefit Ravalli County in the next two years?
A retired law enforcement officer learning the job of commissioner,  AND
An appointed (not elected) sheriff learning his new job, OR
Keeping our elected Sheriff with 14 years of experience in law enforcement, AND
Re-electing a Commissioner with eight years of experience in administrative management.
That is what the voters are being asked to decide.
The voters need to consider the management needs in Ravalli County during this two-year election term.
I have demonstrated leadership and with our elected officials and department managers, I have helped develop, approve and manage seven budgets; seven clean audits.
We have improved infrastructure, reduced county debt and interest, adjusted staffing levels to meet current needs, increased reserves, and represented county concerns at the state and national level to protect those funding levels owed to Ravalli County.
I will continue my efforts to provide common sense leadership in Ravalli County.
I will not add new taxes unless they are voted in by the people.
I will continue our commitment to effective law enforcement.
I remain committed to expanded economic development, job creation and education by local businesses and others, like the Bitterroot College.
Sustainable infrastructure in the Road Department and service on the ground will remain a top priority.
My great grandfather moved his family from Nebraska to Missoula before 1900 and soon after to the Bitterroot Valley. My children and grandchildren will move home with their families from Missoula this year (not to my house). That is six generations, more than 115 years, and to me that is very important. There is nothing more important than home and family, and the Bitterroot is my home.
Call me: 360-8686  (personal cell phone).