An effort is underway to oust Kalispell Mayor Ryan Hunter.

The newly formed political action committee, “Recall Mayor Ryan Hunter,” is seeking to remove Hunter from office before his term expires. The committee, which has two official members, is drafting a petition to collect enough signatures to trigger a recall vote.  

The committee's founder, Kalispell resident Ryan Berner, said the push stems from Hunter’s tie-breaking vote in April to adopt Kalispell’s land use plan, despite concerns from some residents, fellow councilors and the city attorney about a potential conflict of interest.   

Berner argued that Hunter broke a campaign pledge to make “fair, responsible and transparent decisions after listening to residents and stakeholders,” by voting on the issue, citing a candidate questionnaire Hunter completed that was published in the Flathead Beacon.  

He alleged that Hunter violated his oath of office and committed official misconduct — both of which qualify as grounds for recall under the Montana Recall Act.  

Hunter deemed the accusations “absolutely false,” and said that the effort is not based on any decision he’s made as mayor.  

The committee registered with the state in April, though Berner launched a Facebook account under the same name in January, the month Hunter took office and weeks before the vote on the land use plan.  

“This is about people who are upset with the outcome of November’s election, and they want to overturn that election, and that’s not allowed under the law,” Hunter said. “I am prepared to take whatever legal action necessary to ensure that the peoples’ vote from November is respected.” 

THE ISSUE that Berner’s campaign is hinging on surfaced during a January work session dedicated to reviewing the city’s new land use plan. Hunter supported a written request from his employer, the Flathead Land Trust, to remove an area west of town from the city’s future growth boundary because of migrating sandhill cranes.  

Councilor Jed Fisher later accused Hunter of helping draft the letter, an allegation Hunter repeatedly denied.  

Hunter sided with city staff’s recommendation to keep the boundary unchanged, but sought additional guidance from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

The state agency then sent a letter to City Hall recommending that the land be designated as an “area of concern,” citing its importance as a stopover for tens of thousands of migratory waterfowl.  

Before the land use plan that included the designation was adopted, City Attorney Johnna Preble warned Hunter that voting on the measure could pose a problem. 

“It’s my opinion that at the least, there appears to be an appearance of impropriety under most state code and the city code. And at worst there’s a potential conflict of interest and a potential violation of city policy,” Preble said at the April meeting. 

Hunter defended his decision to vote, saying that he had consistently disclosed his employment with the nonprofit and that neither he nor the organization would receive any financial benefit from designating the area as environmentally sensitive.  

Hunter said that critics argued that designating the area would affect property values and make it easier for the Flathead Land Trust to conserve land there. He rejected the claim, saying property value does not affect the nonprofit’s ability to operate. Several other maps in the land use plan — including ones that identify moose, bear and elk habitat — have not been found to affect property value, he said. 

BERNER SAID he started the Facebook page after monitoring Hunter’s conduct in office. The page featured AI-generated content about the campaign, including one since-deleted video that appeared to show an AI-generated Hunter referring to himself as a “grifter.”  

The video was deleted to better align with the formally established committee’s direction, according to Berner. Before that, the page was more informal and exploratory, he said.  

Hunter was elected mayor in the November municipal election, beating out Councilor Sid Daoud and local entrepreneur Kisa Davison. Hunter received 2,933 votes, followed by Davison with 2,668 and Daoud with 1,793 votes.  

Before the petition can be circulated, the Flathead County Election Department must ensure it meets all statutory requirements, according to Election Administrator Paula Buff.  

“We are not reviewing it for substance,” she said.  

If approved, the committee will have 90 days to collect signatures from at least 20% of registered voters at the time of the 2023 municipal election. At that time Kalispell had 16,381 registered voters, meaning the campaign must gather a minimum of 3,277 signatures, according to Buff.  

Berner expects to meet the threshold using trained volunteer circulators who will canvass door-to-door and in highly trafficked public areas.  

“The interest we’ve already received from Kalispell residents in just the first week tells me there’s genuine community support for accountability here,” he wrote in an email to the Inter Lake.  

Berner, a U.S. Army veteran, resides in Ward 3 and has lived in Kalispell for three years, though he said he has called the Flathead Valley home on and off for years. He told the Inter Lake he works in business consulting and sales.  

The committee treasurer, Amber Emery, is based in Eureka, but Berner said that state law doesn’t require political action committee treasurers to reside in the same municipality as the office being recalled.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.