Stacey Schnebel said she’s unencumbered by political history or special interests and will bring a fresh perspective to county management.

The 36-year-old Coram business owner and mother of two is an active civic leader in the Canyon and Columbia Falls area and believes her leadership skills can well serve county residents. 

Schnebel is running against John “Jack” Garlitz of Whitefish for the Democratic nomination for the District 1 county commissioner seat in the June 3 primary election. The winner advances to the Nov. 4 general election against the winner of the Republican contest between Cal Scott and Phil Mitchell.

The District 1 commissioner represents the northern tier of Flathead County.

Early voting begins today in Flathead County.

Whether citizens want to text, email or touch base with her on Facebook, Schnebel said she’ll be accessible to her constituents.

And she’ll do her homework as issues arise, she promised.

“If I’m sitting in a meeting, rest assured I will have questions,” she said. “I’m a people person and have the ability to talk to anyone and get at the heart of what’s important.”

Schnebel said she will strive to make the right decision the first time around and stick with it.

She used the commissioners’ recent decision to back out of participating as a pass-through agent for a federal slope stabilization mitigation grant for north Kalispell homeowners as an example of the commissioners not doing their due diligence.

The county’s withdrawal from the grant process has stymied a $298,000 federal grant to stabilize a hazardous slope near Village Greens and District Court has been asked to intervene.

“I’m very unimpressed with the communication that’s coming out of the commissioners’ office,” Schnebel said. “Waffling on the slump [grant] and changing their decision is devastating to those affected ... They’d already committed to let the grant go through, to pass through the federal money. It really seems like an affront to those citizens. They’re choosing to change their minds because they didn’t do their homework in the first place.”

Schnebel said the current commissioners’ transparency in the way they do business is something that “can definitely use some improvement,” as can their communication with taxpayers and county voters. 

“People are tried of no interaction” between the commissioners and the public, she noted.

Raised on a small farm in a rural area outside Chicago, Schnebel said her rural roots will serve her well as a Flathead County commissioner. She was on a travel adventure, passing through the Flathead in 2000, when she met her husband-to-be on the old bridge in West Glacier.

The Schnebels moved to Coram in 2007 and are approaching their fifth anniversary of owning Stonefly Lounge. They also own UnderCurrent Web, a website optimization and Internet consulting business they started in 2008.

Schnebel said she meets challenges head-on and isn’t afraid to take action when it’s warranted. When a rash of vandalism struck the Canyon three years ago and their business was affected, she worked with the Sheriff’s Office to form the Canyon Community Watch program, and the perpetrators were apprehended.

“Changes need to come from the ground up,” she said, using the cleanup of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. site as an example.

“The county should be behind it and make it happen,” she said. “The county can help grease the wheels and can also be looking at alternative uses for the property.”

Schnebel said she’s encouraged by the “micro-industries” that have been filling in the voids left by the closure of CFAC and downturn of other industries such as logging.

“We have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves,” she said. “Growth is here to stay. People want to live here and it’s the county’s job to guide that growth.”

It behooves the county to make sure the appropriate infrastructure is in place for growth, she added, such as accessibility to technology. She vowed to protect the county’s resources while enhancing services.

As for the controversial Whitefish “doughnut” battle between the city of Whitefish and Flathead County, Schnebel said she understands Whitefish’s concerns about water quality and guiding growth in the urban fringe as the city grows, but she believes the governance of the two-mile area needs to be a partnership between the two governments. 

Schnebel said she believes her age would be a strength on the commission because she not only has the energy to give the job her all but also knows how to diversify, multi-task and manage a busy schedule.

“People deserve a different choice,” she said. “People are looking for someone they can trust ... I want to make history that it’s possible in Flathead County to lead by example.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.