Kirk Gentry views being elected to fill the two-year Flathead County District 1 commissioner’s spot as a challenge.

“I like a good challenge,” said Gentry, a Republican. “This will be one of the most challenging opportunities I can imagine.”

Gentry said in the back of his mind he had thought about running for commissioner for a while. The unexpected opening on the board created by the death of Jim Dupont made him decide now was the time to run for office.

“At age 55, I realized if I didn’t jump in now, when will I?” he said. “Too often we all talk about what needs to be done but never do it.”

Gentry says he would bring a service mentality to the job, gained in the 19 years he has owned, operated and worked at Montana guest ranches.

“I think the taxpayers of this county deserve to be treated like customers and stockholders,” he said. “After all, it is your money and your county.”

Gentry says he has the time to dedicate to the commissioner’s post, has a business background to bring to the job and wants to give something back to the county where he feels fortunate to live.

Gentry describes himself as “a bottom-line kind of guy. If it is working and it is profitable, let’s keep doing that. If it is not, let’s figure out a way for things to pay for themselves or get rid of them if they aren’t justifiable.”

Residents of the “doughnut” surrounding the city of Whitefish need to be represented by elected officials, Gentry said, and the logical representatives are the Flathead County commissioners.

Current lawsuits about whether the city of Whitefish or Flathead County should have jurisdiction over planning and development issues in the doughnut need to be resolved before county officials can make many decisions about the county’s role in the doughnut, he said.

Whatever rules are applied within the doughnut need to be for the good of the “whole, not the individual,” Gentry said.

“We need to use common sense in deciding doughnut issues,” he said.

Gentry would prefer to see earlier dialog about contentious issues. That approach might result in the county being involved in fewer lawsuits, he said.

“We need to sit down and try to see things from both sides,” he said. “Then you have a better approach.”

It’s important that county officials make decisions based not only on laws and rules, “but for the good of the county,” he said.

Gentry has met with many county department heads and plans to continue such conversations to help him determine if there are areas where the county could become more efficient. So far, he hasn’t identified areas he thinks need significant changes.

“The department heads I’ve met seem to be doing a good job,” he said.

He intends to keep asking the right questions of the right people to learn about county issues.

“I’m willing to ask those questions,” he said. “If you offer up your opinion before knowing the facts, you’ll regret it.”

It probably makes sense for Flathead County to operate the 911 dispatch center, Gentry said, but it’s important to keep the cities involved in the operation and to fund the center on an equitable, shared basis.

The 911 center operates through an interlocal agreement between Flathead County and the three incorporated cities in the county, with funding from all four entities based on population.

“I would have to see all the numbers, but usually it makes more sense to have one operator,” he said.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.