The Election Protection Committee, headed up by former Cascade CountyCommissioner Jane Weber and Pete Fontana, brother to former Cascade CountyClerk and Recorder Rina Fontana-Moore, has created a media maelstrom over theirclaims against the Cascade County Elections Office. The office is currently run byrepublican Sandra Merchant who took over this year after winning againstFontana-Moore in the…
The Electric article (here) covering the Great Falls Public Library levy whichthe City Commission voted to put on the ballot in June, is far frombalanced and fair and shows an obvious lack of research. I was at that commission meeting and I wish to set the record straightand give my perspective. The Electric quotes are…
Amid a chorus of boos and shout-downs, there were few brave souls that dare to express opinions unpopular to the summonsed mob. In one sentence, that was my overall impression of the recent meeting organized by Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Director Elsie Arntzen, intended to give parents and other member of the public…
Rules? What rules? I’ve been following the Great Falls City Commission for years and pointing out instances of, in my opinion, questionable conduct of business. I and others here in Great Falls would say the commission at times appears to make their own rules while ignoring city code when it suits them. The latest instance…
A friend texted me Friday morning asking if I’d seen the latest Great Falls Tribune article about the National Heritage Area. I admitted I had not. It is behind a paywall, but here’s the link. After reading the article, I thought this might be a new low for the Tribune—publishing an anonymous hearsay bribery accusation…
Last summer I submitted an ethics complaints to Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki regarding the use of government resources and facilities by both the City of Great Falls and Cascade County to benefit the private nonprofit Big Sky Country National Heritage Area Inc. I alleged there were violations under the Montana Code Annotated and the…
Call it what you will—Conflict of Interest by any other name is still Conflict of Interest The Great Falls City Commission voted 4-1 on June 1 to reappoint Big Sky Country National Heritage Area board members Rich Ecke and Ellen Sievert to the city/county Historic Preservation Commission (HPAC). Commissioner Tryon, the only dissenting vote, aptly…
The Great Falls City Commission approved the Aim High Aquatics and Recreation Center Conditional Use Permit (CUP) at its meeting on May 18. Although cooperation between the Malmstrom Air Force Base and the city is promising and a replacement aquatics facility for the defunct Natatorium is long-awaited, I have a lot of concerns and questions…
The Great Falls City Ethics Committee voted on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 to dismiss all allegations of conflicts of interest and ethics violations I made against city officials for providing city employee time and city resources to Big Sky Country National Heritage Area (BSCNHA) Inc. Their decision seemed to be based mostly on the city’s…
Last summer, I submitted a formal complaint to the Cascade County Attorney against the City of Great Falls regarding use of government resources (aka our tax money) to support a private nonprofit—Big Sky Country National Heritage Area Inc. I cited portions of both the Montana Code Annotated and the Official Code of the City of…