Six vie for Whitefish government review commission

Six candidates are running for five commissioner positions with the Local Government Study committee. Whitefish voters chose to support study in the June election and will elect commissioners Nov. 5. 

Saundra Alessi, Nathan Dugan, Michael Hein, Kevin McDowell, Dakota Whitman and Scott Wurster will be on the ballot. 

Every 10 years, voters in Flathead County and in each of the valley’s municipalities are asked to decide whether they would like to have a local government review. Montana’s Constitution is the only one in the country that requires local governments to ask citizens if they would like to study the efficacy of government. 

This year, 62% of voters in Whitefish were in favor of the review, while voters in Kalispell and the county chose to reject the option. 

The elected commissioners will evaluate the local government's structure and propose recommendations for improvements. Commissioners will focus on the power, structure and plan of the local government. 

The commission will get to work this fall and voters can accept or reject their recommendations in the 2026 general election. The cost of the study commission will not exceed $21,445, according to the city. 

Whitefish City Councilor Rebecca Norton served on the commission in 2014, when it was made up of just three commissioners. She said usually, the elected members of the board go for training in December at the Government Review Center in Bozeman. 

The board goes through the charter and sometimes, she said, the city manager might have some housekeeping that requires a change to the charter. 

“As a commission, we held hearings at the O’Shaughnessy at one point. We met with all the staff and City Council, and we did outreach ... to get people to think about what kinds of issues they wanted to improve within the city,” Norton said about the study 10 years ago. “Not only do we look at the charter, we can also look at the operations of the city.”  

The committee will elect a chair and, typically, the city provides a secretary, who takes minutes at the meetings. The committee decides how frequently it will meet. Norton said the number of commissioners was increased from three to five so that work could continue even when people were unable to attend.  

“At the end of the period of evaluating city and seeing what kind of changes we might need to make to charter and what recommendations we might make systemically, then there’s a report that gets written and submitted to the city council as well as the local Government Review Center.” 

THE SIX CANDIDATES for the government review board were asked via email why they wanted to be on the Local Government Review Commission.  

Saundra Alessi is a long-term, full-time resident of Whitefish who considers herself a local. She said she’s been observing Whitefish negotiate the challenges that come with growth.  

“Unfortunately, it is the City Council that has to anticipate and deal with these challenges and ofttimes there seems to be a disconnect between the City Council and the community,” Alessi said. “I am interested in exploring other types of community governing bodies which may be more creative, efficient, effective and responsive in serving the needs and interests of this growing community.”  

Nathan Dugan is a co-founder of Shelter WF and the vice chair of the Whitefish Climate Action Plan Committee. He said the review commission is an important part of the local democracy and that recent growth in Whitefish has led to challenges with affordable housing, infrastructure and natural resources. 

"I have a proven track record of being open to different viewpoints and putting in the work required to create positive change,” Dugan said. “I'm particularly interested in ensuring that our local government is as representative as it can be and that our elected officials are empowered to create progress. I am also looking forward to considering the ideas and opinions of fellow review commissioners and the public as the process moves along.” 

Michael Hein said he sees the Local Government Review Board as an opportunity to learn and participate in the governance of the city. 

“Montana gives municipalities the right to choose their form of government and with that right comes an important responsibility to perform a thorough, impartial inspection of the current structures and practices,” said Hein. “I believe that to do this right, a board member should come in with no preconceptions and a commitment to making the government as effective as it can be.” 

Kevin McDowell works at Espenson Furniture, making stair nosings and custom parts. He also produces “The Fish Tank” podcast and is earning his Montana educator license. 

“I'm a Whitefish native who appreciates the process and now it's time to participate,” said McDowell.  

Dakota Whitman is a young professional who wants to ensure local government is serving the entire populace. He said there are constraints, like the lack of pay for city councilors and meetings held on weekday evenings, that prevent service workers, the “backbone of our town” and other working people from participating. 

“This skews our town toward those who are older, wealthier, and have the time and/or resources to either run for office or consistently attend city council meetings,” Whitman said. “I feel ‘boxed out’ at times from participating and I am not alone in feeling that way. We are a stronger community when everyone gets an adequate say in how the town runs, not just the privileged few.”  

Scott Wurster has already received training from the Local Government Center at the MSU. He currently serves on the Whitefish Community Development Board and Flathead County Tax Appeal Board. 

“By virtue of my education, work experience and many years of forward-looking voluntary service on local government boards, I am well qualified to serve as a Study Commissioner,” Wurster said. “I am a strong advocate for good governance, the rule of law and regular order. When it comes to governing - this is governing - I am collaborative, without regard to politics.”  

To learn more about the local government review process, visit: https://www.montana.edu/extension/localgov/mtvoterreview/index.html.