E-City Beat✓

Honesty, Accountability, Transparency

Philip M. Faccenda on May 17, 2018

Drawing inspiration from many commenters on E-City Beat concerning the Great Falls Public School District’s $98M bond and $1.4M levy request, over the next few days we will be presenting views about whether or not the Great Falls Public School District is performing its public service in an honest, accountable and transparent way.

In my view, if the District wants to have an honest dialog with the public a couple of prerequisites need to be completed. First, Mr. Jan Cahill, as the Chairman of the School Board, needs to provide an unequivocal and sincere apology to the citizens of Great Falls who voted NO on the recent operational levy for the condescending remarks made by Superintendent Tammy Lacey. In the absence of an apology from Superintendent Lacey, it is Mr. Cahill’s duty to do this as an elected Trustee.

A quote from Superintendent Tammy Lacy:

“Congratulations to Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula school districts for passing their operational levies! Sorry Great Falls…the gap just got wider. By the way, Billings and Butte, the other AA districts, didn’t run levies. That makes us the only losers.”

Secondly, Mr. Cahill must assure parents of children attending school in the District that retribution, no matter how subtle or indirect, against children whose parents hold and voice opinions other than those held by the Board and some District employees will NOT be tolerated. That needs to be heard loud and clear.

“…Mr. Cahill must assure parents of children attending school in the District that retribution, no matter how subtle or indirect, against children whose parents hold and voice opinions other than those held by the Board and some District employees will NOT be tolerated.”

To quote from an anonymous mom whose letter appeared here yesterday, “A Mom’s Letter”:

“Because of the viciousness of this vote, I ask that I remain anonymous, not for myself, but because I fear that my ideals will be used against my child, who is a student in the Great Falls Public School District.”

In my opinion, if these two issues are not addressed soon, the District will have a hard row to hoe for every appeal to increase funding in the future.

Let me echo the sentiments of many of those who have expressed their opinions in comments on this blog and elsewhere: It’s time for the District to provide full honesty and transparency and to be accountable to the citizens of Great Falls.

Candidate Profiles: Diane Heikkila (R) And Mary Swenson (D) – Cascade County Treasurer & Superintendent Of Schools

ECB Staff on May 16, 2018

Editor’s note: This is another in our series of profiles for local Cascade County candidates. Each county office candidate was given the opportunity to submit, in their own words, a brief profile outlining why they’re running, what party they represent and why they are the best candidate for the position.

Here are the County Treasurer & Superintendent Of Schools profiles. Republican and incumbent Jamie Bailey is the other candidate and did not respond to our request for a profile.

Diane Heikkila

I am running for the position of Cascade County Treasurer and Superintendent of Schools as a Republican because I believe this department is in desperate need of strong leadership and integrity. I believe in fairness for both the customer and the employee. I do not believe it should be so difficult to register a vehicle in Cascade County. It is rumored to be the most difficult county to register a vehicle in, within the state of Montana.

I was born and raised in Cascade County and am proud of saying so. I was born in Great Falls, went to junior high and high school in Cascade and have raised two very successful children in Belt. I have been married to my husband Paul for 33 years.

I am looking to make some very big changes to the Treasurers department if elected. I would like to see two windows as you enter the door for handicapped and single transactions including vehicle renewals, tax payments and questions. The phone lines will be answered. Right now, two people are responsible for not only answering the motor vehicle phone lines but also checking in titles and backing up the clerks at the counter. Needless to say many calls do not get answered. I would like to see an additional employee added to the other two and all unanswered calls answered by the Supervisor and the Treasurer if need be. If possible, the employees we have now will be shifted into this position so all employees can fill in when needed.

I would like to see a reader board with updated information added to the waiting area so people don’t stand in a long line to find out they are missing pertinent information. I would like to see the mail desk moved into the main office instead of in the customer waiting area. This will give room for two separate lines for customers, single transactions and multiple. That person will also be able to assist with answering phones. Employee breaks mandated by the union will be adjusted so half the employees do not go at the same time. Clerks from the back office along with the Supervisor and the Treasurer will fill in for breaks and lunches more readily when needed.

The Motor Vehicle Department is run by the State. We need consistency on rules according to the State Title and Registration manual. Right now many rules are inconsistent making it difficult for both the clerk and the customer to complete the new vehicle registration process in one visit to the department.

I have worked at the motor vehicle counter for 2 ½ years and listen to the concerns of the public and the employees. I am in this race to make a difference for everyone. We need leadership to achieve efficiency and I believe we can get that without adding new employees to this department. Please vote for me for Treasurer and help me to make a difference. Thank you for your support.

Mary Swenson

To see that the office is equipped with well trained employees and is able to remain fully staffed. This will help with citizens wait time and ensure the lines are moving at a more efficient pace. I know there are times this is unavoidable but I would like the people to see that there is progress being made. It has been a problem in this office for a while but I would work to find the solution to cut it down or eliminate it.

I am running as a Democrat because of the party beliefs and I looked at the candidates I know to see what party they belong to.

I have an accounting and a business administration degree. I also have a certificated in governmental accounting. I have a work history with Cascade County for 15 plus years with almost three of those in the Treasurer’s Office. I know the real estate tax software and how the coding works with the accounting software. I assisted with the banking RFP and part of the transition to the new banking. I organized the accounting department of the Treasurer’s Office along with solving other numerous issues that had come up. I take my job seriously and am dedicated to it.

A Mom’s Letter

ECB Staff on May 15, 2018

Editor’s note: Since last Wednesday we have received several letters and other communications from local citizens expressing their disappointment over GFPS Superintendent Tammy Lacey’s comments after the voters voted against the districts requested $1.35M operational levy.

We’re publishing this letter because we feel it is well written and accurately represents the majority of comments, letters and other communications we have received. We are respecting the writers request for anonymity, not something we have made or will make a habit of, because the reasoning is sound and justified in this case, which we have verified.

I have a response to Tammy Lacey’s response to the vote, but wish to remain anonymous due to the heated environment that this vote has created. If you feel that you could use a viewpoint response to E-City Beat. Please let me know, and I would be happy to send it to you.

Thank you.

Superintendent Tammy Lacey, Great Falls Public School Board, Teachers, Administrators and Citizens of Great Falls:

I was astounded by the comments that Superintendent Tammy Lacey made regarding the recent tax levy. I am a property owner in Great Falls, and I have no qualms about saying that I voted ‘no’ on the recent school levy. Yes, I have a child going to school within the district, in the past I had voted ‘yes’ to the previous school levies.

I think that Tammy Lacey fails to really see what is going on in the personal lives and financial means of the bulk of citizens within the district. Every day we must make choices that affect our bank accounts. We have bills to pay and there have been recent property tax increases that were also affected by the increase in property values; in addition to the rise in costs for utilities and basic necessities. Add all this up to the fact that many of us are working good, full time jobs, but ones in which there have been no pay increases.

Right now, I feel blessed to have a good job that is full time, even if I am paying for the bulk of the benefits that are available. Yes, getting people to vote to tax themselves is hard especially when those people do not see raises, cost of living increases, and who must pay the brunt of any increase to their health insurance plans from their own pockets. I feel for the elderly in our community who also must choose between basic needs in order to live their lives such as groceries and medication or to fund the gap in the district’s finances.

I also want to point out that my vote would not have changed had I used a mail-in ballot, walked myself to the voting booth, or had to stand up and express my vote in public. You try to shame us regarding our vote, but it is our vote and our civic and democratic right. Please do not think that we take this lightly.

You should be ashamed of yourself as a voice for our teachers who instruct our children to think critically and for themselves that you would lump all ‘no’ voters into a category of those who “confused…their dislike of government” as a reason for voting against another school levy. Tammy Lacey, you do not know me nor my family, you do not know our struggles, and it is clear that you do not understand the struggles of the community that you plead for funds from.

“You should be ashamed of yourself as a voice for our teachers who instruct our children to think critically and for themselves that you would lump all ‘no’ voters into a category of those who “confused…their dislike of government” as a reason for voting against another school levy. Tammy Lacey, you do not know me nor my family, you do not know our struggles, and it is clear that you do not understand the struggles of the community that you plead for funds from.”

Not only do I work full time, I also go to school full time. I want to one day be able to look at my family’s finances and feel confident that voting yes and raising my property tax will not negatively affect our other needs and obligations as well as our want to support local businesses and charities. Maybe, instead of looking at the failed levy as an “us” against “them” scenario, you should look at it as many in the community also do: we are having to tighten our belts as individuals and as a community we are asking the school and other institutions to do the same thing.

I want to point out that many of the communities that recently saw the successful passing of levies also have seen the benefits of a surge in business and increased populations. While Great Falls has been stagnant in terms of population growth and have seen several business close or will be closing very soon, leading to some in our community to look for employment elsewhere and/or “cut the fat” from their expenses. You may say, but if we have vibrant schools and successful administrators it will encourage this type of growth. We were promised this with past levies and bonds, and yet have seen more businesses closing and dormant economic growth.

You chastise us like children Mrs. Lacey, but you fail to understand that we are adults that must make financial decisions based on income and expenses. We do not take joy in having to vote ‘no’, so now I will chastise you in failing to understand and empathize with the citizens of the district that you serve. A drop in the bucket for some may be a down pour for others.

This vote has made monsters out of all of us, including myself; I am disappointed that so many cannot see both sides of the coin and respectfully agree to disagree. I am also disappointed because I know there are ways to decrease budgets that do not affect our students or place in jeopardy the jobs of our teachers. The School District’s ‘Plan B’ feels more like a ‘we’ll show you all what happens when you don’t side with us’ scenario.

Because of the viciousness of this vote, I ask that I remain anonymous, not for myself, but because I fear that my ideals will be used against my child, who is a student in the Great Falls Public School District.

Free Speech Threatened

Philip M. Faccenda on May 14, 2018

In a recent E-City Beat piece, ‘Rapping Voters’, we reported that one of Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent Tammy Lacey’s condescending excuses for last Tuesday’s operational levy failure was some amorphous confused “Opposition Group”.

“And having an opposition group that has their local school district and local educational opportunities confused with their dislike of government doesn’t help”. – GF Tribune 5/08/2018

The truth is that no “confused” opposition group exists and even if it did it would be a remarkable accomplishment to organize the over 9,600 voters who voted NO on the Levy.

If Superintendent Lacey is talking about a media outlet, such as E-City Beat, that provided a forum and disseminated opposing views to the GFPS District demand for more money, then that is “attacking the messenger” and is an extremely defenseless proposition.

E-City Beat gets it – some folks were disappointed by the voters disapproval of the school districts management performance and expressed that disapproval by voting NO to the levy.

We have recently been advised that one frequent commenter who repeatedly voiced unconditional support for the current District operation, Lynette Scriver-Colburn, has taken upon it herself to contact one of our advertisers and condemn him for advertising on our blog.

“Greg–

I see you are now advertising on E City Beat. I wonder why you would want to associate your business with a blog that has spread so much vitriol and division in our community on important community matters.

Lynette”

Lynette Scriver-Colburn is employed by United Way of Cascade County and also works closely with the GFPS District. We sincerely hope that her actions are not condoned by United Way and the school district.

The time on the email, 11:18 AM, is during regular business hours when employees are supposedly working for their employer, so I can’t help but wonder whether United Way of Cascade County knows that Scriver-Colburn is possibly using work time to attempt to intimidate local business owners and discourage them from advertising with another local business.

“…I can’t help but wonder whether United Way of Cascade County knows that Scriver-Colburn is possibly using work time to attempt to intimidate local business owners and discourage them from advertising with another local business.”

Harassing a Great Falls car dealership in the hopes of suppressing the free speech rights of local citizens doesn’t seem like time well spent by United Way employees, especially since that time is paid for by United Way contributors.

Perhaps I should start making a list of local United Way volunteers and contributors and email them all with claims of “vitriol” coming from UW employees and asking why they would consider giving time and money to an organization that employs folks who think so little of free speech and the opinions of others. Nah.

But I do think that what Scriver-Colburn did is pure chicken poop. The advertiser, K’s Auto Sales owner Greg Nickol, who she tried to intimidate thinks so too, here’s his reply:

“We believe our right to free thought, speech and deliberate inclusion constitutional. When did disagreement, in thoughtful and gentle tones, become vitriol and divisive?

The word vitriol means “caustic, cruel or bitter criticism…scathing, withering, abusive, sarcastic, sardonic speech or writing.” I’ve read and re-read every E City post but don’t view any of them according to the definition of vitriol or vitriolic. Certainly, many of these articles disagree with the status-quo of several local conditions, but then, so do, in some cases, a majority of Great Falls voters. The division in our community hasn’t been caused by E City beat, only noticed by them and reported accordingly.

To answer Lynette Scriver-Colburn, and anyone else who asks, I advertise on E City Beat because their readers also buy vehicles… Some of their views are unpopular, for sure; other views are proving to be more popular than those of their opposition, particularly those regarding the Great Falls Public School System, City of Great Falls law enforcement and city leadership, and the intended area slaughter-house.

I’m surprised at you, Lynette…..I would never suggest to anyone else what he or she should or should not believe or agree with, so who is it that spreads vitriol and sows division? Apparently you read the E City Beat, and you saw my advertisement. Should you pry a little deeper, you’ll learn that E City Beat has a subscriber list much larger than most folks imagine.

Sincerely, Greg Nickol”

Candidate Profiles: George Anthony Schultz (R) And Dominick Snell (R) – Cascade County Commissioner

ECB Staff on May 14, 2018

Here are the County Commissioner profiles. Democrat and incumbent Jane Weber and Republican Joshua Eli are the other candidates for Cascade County Commisisoner and did not respond to our request for a profile.

George Anthony Schultz

1. OPPOSE THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE

2. The aggressive & vigilant maintenance & continuance of ALL private property ownership & rights

3. Defeating City Hall & corruption is accomplished with your voting ballot at the ballot box

I’m running to infuse and provide a new information stream that fosters an environment where ethics, integrity and dignity can flourish.

The G.O.P leads all other political parties in defending and continuing our Bill of Rights and Constitution, further securing our private property ownership and property rights !

I will bring troubleshooting and problem solving skills to the office with a special emphasis on remedy, relief and resolution to all conflicts and disputes concerning land, housing, property, real Estate.

These type of conflicts should be settled before the sun goes down. I will be posting writings on a variety of topics including a proposal for a “ Sunset Policy”, to resolve disputes before the sun goes down at www.thewaterbearerstribune.com

Dominick Snell

The main reason as to why I would want to run for County Commissioner is that I want to see Great Falls and Cascade County flourish and become prosperous again. I have become tired of the Status Quo with the elected officials and there needs to be change. The main change is to bring The People’s Voice back into the government. It has been long standing that the elected officials have stopped listening to The People who have voted them in. The promises that are said during campaigns are usually not fulfilled when the person is elected into office and this must change.

I am running as a Republican because I myself see this side of the political spectrum to be more in line with my views. I do believe in less government and less taxation from The People that pay those taxes. I firmly believe that The People have the say in government and that government is only there to enforce what The People want, not the other way around. I also uphold the Constitution, without change, as the full Right of The People and should not be changed or taken away. I also hold a very Conservative view on matters concerning economic and sociological standpoints. Therefore, I am running as a Republican because that is what I am in thinking and ideology.

I see myself as a solid candidate mainly because I am not a Politician and do not think like one. I was born here in Great Falls, did my higher education in Great Falls, I love Great Falls, and live in Great Falls. I want to be the Voice of the People in the government. I would like to see Great Falls become what it once was as a booming economy with great job growth as well as an influx of new people coming in. Now, we are the most boring town in Montana with stagnant growth across the board. I still see Great Falls becoming a wonderful place to stay and grow with but that is only if the elected officials would listen to what is needed by The People and not what they want.

I know that I can, with a clear and logical head, look at the budget of Cascade County and trim the excess to bring more for less. I know that by looking at the budget and seeing where the frivolous is being spent as well as the incompetent is being funded and then get rid of both to save the tax payers from another levee or even reduce the ones that we have. I know that I can be the one to turn the elected officials around to start to listen to The People again.

Rapping Voters

Philip M. Faccenda on May 10, 2018

In the aftermath of the recent school district levy failure, Superintendent Tammy Lacey took to the airwaves and newsprint to give the voters of Great Falls a good rap on the knuckles.

Lacey’s condescending explanation of why the levy failed was way off-base and laid the blame on everything except for hers and the district’s arrogance to think that even after the recent passage of a $98M bond levy there was still some spare change in the local taxpayer’s pockets, that administrator’s salaries weren’t too high and that a number of other mistakes would be forgotten. She was wrong, but now she says the kids will pay the price for lack of funds.

These are her excuses:

1.) “Getting people to vote to tax themselves more is always a hard sell”.

2.) “Having to use a mail-in ballot where it only takes a couple of minutes and a few cents to say NO”.

3.) “And having an opposition group that has their local school district and local educational opportunities “confused” with their dislike of government doesn’t help”.

Superintendent Lacey’s first point is obvious and her second point makes no sense at all. It takes the same amount of time to vote yes as it does to vote no.

And her third point. What opposition group? It looks to us as though the huge no vote was a grassroots movement comprised of individuals who saw through the tired mantra, “It’s for the Kids”. So, is Superintendent Lacey calling an imaginary “opposition group”, a Basket of Confusables? If so, that would be right out of Hillary’s playbook of excuses.

The big question is; did Superintendent Lacey and the school district learn anything from this experience, or will their blinders simply not allow them to see the forest for the trees?

To add insult to injury, Lacey’s congratulatory Tweet to the other AA districts whose levies were passed was a throw-it-in-your-face backhanded insult to the citizens of Great Falls for whom she works. Please spare us your condescension.

“To add insult to injury, Lacey’s congratulatory letter to the other AA districts whose levies were passed was a throw-it-in-your-face backhanded insult to the citizens of Great Falls for whom she works. Please spare us your condescension.”

Here is our basket of some recommendations to bring some resolution to the school district’s misadventure.

Cut all administrative salaries by 20%.
Discontinue the District’s 1% annual annuity contribution to administrators.
Eliminate four of the eight high school associate principals.
Cease purchases of residential properties around Great Falls High for expensive parking lots.
Involve citizens to explore consolidation of elementary schools.
Competitively bid general construction contracts for all district projects.
Implement an annual “Conflict of Interest” form for all district employees.
Eliminate secret professional selection processes.
DO NOT LAY OFF TEACHERS!

(Note: Readers please add to this list)

Candidate Profiles: Lola Sheldon-Galloway (R) House District 22

ECB Staff on May 9, 2018

Editor’s note: This is another in our series of profiles for local legislative candidates. Each state House and Senate candidate in the Great Falls area was given the opportunity to submit, in their own words, a brief profile outlining why they’re running, what party they represent and why they are the best candidate for the position. You can see the full list of local candidates here.

Democrat Laura Dever is the other candidate in House District 21 and did not respond to our request for a profile.

Lola Sheldon-Galloway

I am enjoying my first term Representing the constituents in House District 22. This experience can benefit the District with my expanded knowledge and statewide relationships by being re-elected another term.

I have a passion to serve the citizens of Sun Prairie, Manchester, Valley View, Wilson Butte area, the Northwest and Southwest side of Great Falls. I’ve had this desire since I was a child. It’s an honor to represent the citizens of Cascade county.

I support Republican solutions to government issues.
I share the virtues of the RETRO Republicans
R- Representing
E- Every
T- True
R- Republican
O- Objective

I have lived in Cascade County all my life. My grandkids are 5th generation Montanans. They motivate me to look at legislation, analyzing how it affects our future generations.
Because I live in the District I represent, I understand the citizens of House District 22 by attending meetings on District, City, County and State issues. I return phone calls of concerned citizens and research the answers to their questions.

My assignments to the Judiciary committee and the Law and Justice Interim Study has given me a depth of understanding I never imagined possible when I started on this journey. I have a greater respect for the hard working employees and citizens of our state.
I’d like to thank those who have helped me on this journey and ask for your continued support.

Representative LOLA Sheldon-Galloway
House District 22

LOLA4Montana@yahoo.com

http://lolasheldon-galloway.com/

Cascade County Sheriff Race Kerfuffle

Rick Tryon on May 8, 2018

There’s an interesting development in the Cascade County Sheriffs race between Sheriff Bob Edwards and one of his opponents in the June 5 Democratic primary.

It first came to my attention when I saw that someone had shared Edwards’ May 4th ‘Retain Sheriff Edwards’ Facebook post following the KRTV sheriff candidates debate. In the post Sheriff Edwards alleges that sheriff candidate Jesse Slaughter, who was a Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training (POST) board member, “knew what they were going to do to me” (POST voted to revoke Edwards police and coroner certificates) and that was Slaughters reason for resigning from the POST board and running for sheriff.

Here is a screenshot of a portion of the post with the pertinent comments highlighted:

Here is the link to the post on the Retain Sheriff Edwards Facebook page –https://www.facebook.com/RetainEdwards/posts/1634213039949939

The post and the implications against Slaughters motives and timing in running for sheriff were widely shared on social media and, reportedly, through email and texts by Edwards supporters. Subsequently Slaughters supporters have fired back and claim that Edwards allegations are unfounded and patently false.

I reached out to Sheriff Edwards and asked him to respond to the counter-claims that Slaughters resignation from POST came before he had knowledge that Edwards certifications would be revoked and had nothing to do with his (Slaughters) decision to run for sheriff.

Edwards responded by sending me an email stating “Attached is the POST agenda for Feb. 7th. The day the said they were going to revoke me.” with a screenshot of the February 7, 2018 POST meeting agenda listing Slaughters resignation letter as agenda item #2.

Subsequently several Slaughter supporters have posted on social media and contacted me directly with documentation directly refuting Edwards implications about the timing and motive behind Slaughters resignation from POST and decision to run for Cascade County Sheriff.

Here is a photo showing Slaughters time-stamped POST resignation letter, dated December 4, 2017.

Here is the text of an email forwarded to me and originally sent to a local citizen from Perry Johnson, Executive Director of POST sent this morning, May 8. I’ve highlighted the portion that appears to directly refute Sheriff Edwards allegation that Slaughter knew about POST actions revoking Edwards certifications and therefore resigned POST to run for sheriff

From: Johnson, Perry <PJohnson@mt.gov>
Date: Tue, May 8, 2018 at 9:51 AM
Subject: RE: Jesse Slaughter resignation

Good morning!

Attached please find a copy of the timeline relating to POST interaction/allegation timeline. I have also attached a copy of Jesse Slaughter’s resignation letter. I also provided information about how POST processes allegations against officers and who on the Council has the information about the allegations made and when the information would be known.

Regarding your question about Jesse’s resignation being on an agenda with Bob Edwards allegations, that didn’t happen. Jesse’s resignation was on a regular POST Council meeting agenda. The resignation was on the agenda in February because Jesse resigned in December and the POST Council did not meet again until February and that was the first opportunity to advise the Council.

Bob Edwards agenda dates and times are noted in the timeline attachment above. No mention of the allegations relating to Bob Edwards was ever placed on an agenda for the full POST Council. The only agenda that would have contained information about Bob would have been for Case Status Committee meetings. The agenda for the Case Status Committee meetings did not contain information about Jesse’s resignation. Jesse was not a member of the Case Status Committee and as such, he would not have had access to any information relating to the Committee, their discussion or their decisions.

I have provided a timeline and extensive information that I hope will address the questions you presented. The timeline clearly demonstrates the efforts POST made to thoroughly investigate and obtain information relating to the allegations relating to Bob Edwards. The dates clearly show POST made no decision pertaining to allegations relating to Bob Edwards prior to Officer Slaughter’s decision to resign from the POST Council. The timeline shows that there was no conspiracy because no action/decision had been made or taken regarding Bob Edwards at the time Jesse resigned. Jesse’s resignation was unexpected and a surprise to me and the other members of the Council.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or if we can be of any assistance to you.

Thanks and have a great day!

Perry Johnson, Executive Director

Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council

2260 Sierra Road East

Helena, Montana 59602

(406) 444-9976 Desk

(406) 444-9978 Fax

(406) 475-5524 Cell

Finally here is the timeline that Mr. Johnson attached with the email.

Adding this all up it appears to me that Sheriff Edwards is mistaken in his assertion that Jesse Slaughters timing and motives were based on inside information and were therefore nefarious in some way. Whether Edwards was unintentionally misinformed or intentionally misleading I don’t know. I emailed him and asked for his response or a clarification and have not yet heard back.

I will keep readers updated as this matter develops.

Candidate Profiles: George Kynett (D) And Jesse Slaughter (D) Cascade County Sheriff

ECB Staff on May 7, 2018

Here are the Sheriff profiles. Democrat and incumbent Bob Edwards and Republican Bob Rosipal are the other candidates for Cascade County Sheriff and did not respond to our request for a profile.

George Kynett

My family and I live and work in this community and I couldn’t imagine a better place to live. But, we do have some issues in Cascade County and I’m ready to take on those challenges as sheriff because I want to make our community a nicer, safer place to live. I want to ensure the youngest to the oldest of our citizens are protected. I also want to create a better work environment for all our Sheriff’s Department employees, so that those who are protecting our community are being taken care of themselves. I will use any resources available to the department to protect the people in and around the county.

With more than 28 years in law enforcement experience, I have good understanding of how the Sheriff’s Department works. I’ve spent time as a reserve deputy, detention officer, court bailiff, civil process server, in private security and inmate transfer. I also have experience with adult and veteran treatment court, drug/alcohol monitoring, and currently work as a pre-release officer.

I’ve also spent over 20 years in the civilian sector as a warehouse supervisor, gaining experience in budgets, management, scheduling, training and workplace safety. Skills that will no doubt be extremely useful if elected Sheriff.

It’s also through all these experiences that I’ve been able to see where we have challenges and where we can make improvements. Our jail is overcrowded and we have issues with drug addiction. We need to ensure we’re attracting and retaining qualified, motivated employees. We must have a budget that works toward the protection of the community and the Sheriff’s Department. We need to make sure we’re reaching those smaller outlying communities in the county. There are no quick-fix solutions for these problems, but I have many ideas that I’d like to implement that I hope overtime will help with the issues.

Some things I’d like to see include reinvigorating the Reserve and Explorer programs. Additionally we should tap into our volunteers throughout the county such as search and rescue, medical quick response units, and volunteer fire departments to get help to individuals in rural areas quicker. Basically, the more deputies and volunteers that we can integrate into the county the safer and better protected our community will be.

Two of my biggest concerns for our community are safety for our citizens and combating drug and alcohol addiction. I feel this falls in line with the beliefs of many Democrats – to take care of each other and ensure the health and safety of all citizens. I’d also like to see better paying jobs available and more affordable healthcare. Healthcare is a big area of concern for county employees, especially those with families where the cost is extremely high.

Jesse Slaughter

I am a public servant at heart and I care deeply for the people of this community. For 18 years I’ve had a very successful career serving the people of Montana. I started as a civilian coroner, then a sworn deputy/coroner. I spent a decade protecting the residents of Great Falls as a police officer and Master Police Officer before I was appointed to my current position as a GFPD Detective, specializing in protecting children. I am a law enforcement officer certified by the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council, and I carry the POST supervisory certificate.

My values are strong, my integrity is intact, and I’m not afraid to make hard decisions. I will bring a fresh perspective to the Office. I am ready to lead by example, and be a Sheriff the people of Cascade County will be proud to put their trust in.

A Sheriff should not be influenced by, or beholden to, a political agenda. As a sworn officer it is my honor and duty to uphold the US and Montana constitutions, and to protect and serve all citizens equally. The Democrat party enthusiastically embraced my candidacy.

I have the experience, knowledge, and leadership to provide greater service to the residents and business owners of Cascade County. My father was the Sheriff of Gallatin County and it has long been my dream to be the Sheriff of Cascade County.

– As Sheriff, one of my top priorities will be the safety of our children. I am an investigator on the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and, as an Active Shooter Response Instructor, I have been in our schools teaching officers and faculty how to handle threats. As the lead law enforcement officer for Cascade County I will work closely with students, parents, and faculty to introduce a comprehensive affordable approach to increasing the safety of our schools.

– County residents need to see deputies frequently. I will bring back the Resident Deputy Program, giving rural communities greater access to law enforcement.

– Right away, I will host the first Citizen’s Academy of the Sheriff’s Office.

– I will recruit volunteers to lend support and offset financial burdens.

– I will implement a program involving the Office in the Veterans and Drug Treatment Courts. These courts mandate and provide treatment, support, and mentoring, and have proven to be very effective with addiction and mental health concerns.

– The Office oversees the county’s only adult detention facility. The men and women who staff this facility are vital to our community. I will ensure they receive ongoing and advanced training and are compensated and treated fairly.

– I will implement a wellness program to aid employees with physical, mental, and emotional health, including critical incident protocols.

– I will break the cycle of legacy promotions by introducing fair, consistent, and transparent promotion processes, starting with the appointment of the Undersheriff.

SlaughterForSheriff.com

Candidate Profiles: John Abarr (R) And Ed Buttrey (R) House District 21

ECB Staff on May 5, 2018

Democrat Leesha Ford and Republican Rickey D. Linafelter are the other candidates in House District 21 and did not respond to our request for a profile.

John Abarr

John Abarr

Age 48, Divorced, two adult kids, lived in Great Falls for 20 years. Home town Jordan, MT.

Three years of college. Occupation, political consultant.

White civil rights activist. Republican most of my life. I am very conservative. Willing to work with Trump Democrats and other conservatives of any party.

If nothing else I would like to fix it so elderly people 60 and older don’t have to pay state property tax if they have less than $100,000 in assets.

Please take a look at johnabarr.com to see my whole platform.

If you have any questions please call me at 406-868-8576.

Ed Buttrey

Ed Buttrey

I have been honored to serve as Senator of SD11. In that role I have passed critical legislation in the areas of workforce development, healthcare, military, employment law, education, telemedicine, veteran benefits, prescription drug reform, transportation, liquor/gaming law, tax reform and in many other areas to benefit those that I represent. I understand complex policy and have been in leadership in each of my legislative sessions.

I work hard each day for my constituents and to ensure a better Montana for each of us, our children, and generations to come. There is more work to be done, and I am running and asking for the honor to continue as Representative, working for the people of HD21.

I am a Republican, and have been a businessman, and job creator throughout my entire professional career. I believe that responsible government should be run like a business, focusing on efficiency and performance, with accountability at all levels. Government must exist to support, not obstruct our businesses and citizens.

As a Republican Legislator, I also believe that we must hear input from all sides, consider best options, and legislate in a way that benefits all Montanans. I am not an ideologue, or someone that believes that anyone has the best solution, before listening to those that are affected. I can solve problems, but know that by listening more than talking, we can come up with great solutions. This is how we run our businesses, and how we can succeed in Government.

Conservative ideals, thoughtful consideration of issues, hard work, and holding all parties accountable are the cornerstones of my party and are why I am proudly running as a Republican. As a Legislator, however, I have and will always respect and honor my duty to represent all those that live in HD21, regardless of political affiliation.

Ultimately, it takes 51 House Members, 26 Senators, 1 Governor and 4 Court Justices to ensure that any bill becomes law. Many running for office make grand promises for change, but ultimately are unsuccessful in the process. Simply put, I know how to get Legislation across the finish line. I am a policy Legislator and have carried some of the most complex legislation brought in front of the Legislature during my tenure. I have fought and passed legislation creating jobs, and fighting for education, businesses, Veterans, infrastructure, our military missions and other items that you have told me are important.

I will listen to all viewpoints, will fight hard for you, and will succeed for you. In this time of change at the Federal and State levels, it is important to elect representatives that can hit the ground running, that can get the job done, and will work above all for the people they represent.

I am honored to have represented you for the past 8 years and humbly ask for the honor to continue to serve as the Representative for HD21.