A Political Action Committee has been formed, known as “Recall Mayor Ryan Hunter”. Our understanding is that, as of this morning, this PAC has 2-members–one of which is the founder, Ryan Berner, and the two of them have a high hill to climb just to get it on some future ballot.
For that they’ll need to collect about 3,500-signatures on a petition and that’s after his petition has been approved as legal in Montana.
On Facebook, the committee’s beef is that the Mayor, who cast the tie-breaking vote, to include land in West Valley frequented by Sand Cranes and other migratory birds, in a special map–similar to what already exists for Moose, Deer and other species. The Mayor–as mayor’s often do, cast the deciding vote–5-4, to include the map.
For his part, Mayor Hunter, appearing on the KGEZ Good Morning Show, explained his relationship with the Flathead Land Trust, his day job. He emphasized that he has no financial interest in either the Flathead Land Trust and is a salaried employee only. He further explained that any funds created by placing land in trust is only a pass-through to the property owner.
In an email to the the Daily Inter Lake’s Jack Underhill, Berner said he has lived in Kalispell for 3-years and is a resident of Ward 3–the one represented by Hunter as a Council Member for over 6-years. The PAC’s Treasurer lives in Eureka. As for the Facebook page, A-I generated postings have already been taken-down.
The Mayor responded saying he suspected the people behind the recall attempt were “mad” because he won the November election.
