Candidate forum

by Tom Tunny, Hamilton

I attended the candidate forum at the Ravalli County Event Center on April 22. There were about 300 seats set up for the event, but I was sorry to see only about 2/3 of the seats occupied… a small turnout, I thought, for such an important event. Many thanks to RCEDA, the Bitterroot Chamber of Commerce, BVBOR and a host of other local organizations that sponsored this event! The candidates were those running for the offices of Sheriff/Coroner, County Commissioner, and State Legislative. The event was hosted by the inimitable Steve Fullerton, who, as usual, did an excellent job of keeping the candidates on track! All the candidates did an excellent job of presenting themselves and their positions and as they say, “May the best candidates win”! I wanted to point out a few things that were said during the meeting that were not verified or challenged by anyone, so I am not sure of their veracity. For example, one of the candidates said that Ravalli County is the fastest growing county in the state. In light of the recent publicity through the show “Yellowstone” and the number of lights we see in the evening when driving up or down route 93, that could well be true! Another fact someone stated was that the forest here in the Bitterroot is the most dangerous forest in the nation and is the highest fire hazard in the country! Another candidate mentioned that there are 550 miles of road here in Ravalli County and that 250 miles of that total are paved roads. The County’s biggest budget item right now is the maintenance of these roads, and keeping the roads in good working order is a high priority. Some time was spent discussing the necessity and the survival of rural hospitals, such as Marcus Daly/Bitterroot Health. This hospital complex has been a great benefit to the residents of Ravalli County. We are in danger of losing this excellent facility if President Trump‘s budget cuts trickle down to our small community. Preschool programs and their costs also got quite a bit of attention. How to pay for and operate these vital programs is a major concern with both parents now having to work due to the poor economy. Most developed countries have free childcare/preschool programs, which give children a Headstart on their education…vital if we are to stay competitive with other industrialized countries! I was disappointed that none of the candidates for County Commissioner spoke about one of the most serious concerns facing us these days…the SheepCreek Mine project. I would have thought this would be at the top of the list. In my opinion, the construction of this mine would be disastrous for our valley. All in all, I thought this was an excellent opportunity to hear from all the candidates on a variety of issues. I only wish more people had attended!