Libby City Council candidates

Editor’s Note: The subsequent reports are the result of interviews with City Council candidates for Libby. We hope these assist our readers in making their choice as they fill out their ballots for the Nov. 5 election. Candidates appear in alphabetical order.

Robin Benson

• Incumbent, 51

• Married, Jerry; two children

• Deputy County Clerk

Robin Benson has been a Libby resident since 1978.

As she wraps up her first term as a Libby City Councilwoman, Benson says she is proud of the strides the city has made to repair “a neglected infrastructure.”

As chairwoman of the Water and Sewer Committee, Benson said she is “proud of the repairs” currently being addressed by the city to improve its water-distribution system.

As a deputy county clerk, Benson said her forte is assisting the public, something she sees as a carryover to her position as a councilwoman.

“In my work, I juggle a diverse workload,” Benson said. “I assist the clerk and because my desk is near the (clerk) window, I am the one who quite often assists the public, something I enjoy.”

Benson said Libby’s biggest challenge is developing private-sector jobs with “family-sustaining incomes.”

Asked how she would go about that, Benson provided three answers: “Promote, promote, promote.”

Because of that belief, Benson volunteered to join the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce board.

“We need to be collaborative in promoting Libby, positively,” she said.

Benson said there is too much negativity about Libby, ranging from the threat of asbestosis to outright propaganda and misinformation.

“We are so much more than just a Superfund site,” Benson said. “This is such a beautiful place. We have a great outdoors and recreational opportunities. There is so much here. We just need to positively promote Libby.”

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Barb Desch

• Incumbent, 59

•Married, John; two children

• Owns bookkeeping business

Barb Desch has lived in Libby since 1991.

A lifetime resident of Lincoln County, Desch has the business savvy to know and understand budgets.

“Being on the council for four years, I have gained valuable knowledge of existing procedures,” she said.

Desch said the biggest challenge facing the city is having enough money to do the projects the city deems necesssary.

“Our economic climate has diminished, and we have to be more careful with spending, stay within our means,” a lesson she has learned from her years of experience on the council.

Addressing the criticism of the Asphalt Zipper, a purchase she recommended as chairwoman of the Streets, Sidewalks and Lighting Committee, Desch said the Zipper still is a viable option for the city.

Desch said as the city prepared for the massive water distribution project, it made no sense to pave streets that would be excavated.

“Basically, it wasn’t used as much this summer because we were working on the dam and the water-distribution projects,” she said.

“Actually, the Zipper was used on 30 blocks and alleys, and it performed well,” she said.

Addressing the question of openness of the council, Desch said she hears concerns of that, but “all I ask is that people call me. I’m here to listen. If they have a question, call me.”

If re-elected, Desch said a personal goal would be to bring street lights to the Cabinet Heights neighborhood.

“Those residents were promised that years ago,” she said. “I think the city needs to keep that promise, get street lighting up there.”

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Vicky Lawrence

• Incumbent, 64

• Married, Charlie, two daughters

• Homemaker, piano teacher

Vicky Lawrence has lived in Libby the longest, 32 years.

In that time, Lawrence has seen Libby go through various stages. Like all communities, Libby has seen good and lean times. Right now, Libby is going through a lean time.

“I’m outspoken, and I like to research things before I speak,” Lawrence said. “I’m concerned about the debt the dam and water-distribution system will mean for future generations. We all own our infrastructure.”

Lawrence said she is concerned about impending costs for water customers.

“I’m hearing rates could go up $15 a month, which amounts to $180 more a year (per customer),” she said. “This concerns me, and this is not unique to Libby. Our country has a huge infrastructure problem.”

Lawrence said the city had plans to deal with the water-distribution costs and “then we got hit with the dam.”

Lawrence said she is urging the city to look for additional funding sources and grants to minimize the costs to residents.

“I have chosen to be positive,” Lawrence. “I’m not going to be negative. What is the expression? ‘We have seen the enemy, and it is us.’ We’ve got to stop fighting each other.”

Lawrence said she is proud of the work she has done through tree-plantings and to beautify Libby, and specifically the work she helped to forge at Riverfront Park.

“I think Riverfront Park has turned out well,” Lawrence said. “And, if you ask the veterans, I think they would say they are happy with their location at the park. It’s a great spot. It’s like they were meant to be there.”

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Arlen Magill

• Candidate, 38

• Married, Angela; two children

• Custodian for Libby Assembly of God church

Arlen Magill says the main thing his job as custodian at Libby Assembly of God Church has taught him is that things must be maintained.

Magill said it now appears the city is playing catch-up on maintenance and infrastructure projects.

He realizes not all of the blame for that is the problem of the current City Council, but there should have been money set aside to deal with the repairs to the water-distribution system and the Flower Creek Dam.

A resident of Libby for six-plus years, Magill said he is concerned about the town he has chosen to raise his two young children.

Magill said he has been blessed with an ability to talk to people who speak to him openly, and they are telling him they are dissatisfied with the way the city is being run.

“We need more open communication. City business is not being discussed openly as it should be. I want to help make this city a better place for my children.”

Magill said if elected he will pursue those entities that received part of the $8 million economic development funding.

“We get this $8 million grant that is supposed to help our community. What happened to it?” Magill said. “That money, if paid back, could keep on helping  other businesses. We should find out what happened to that money.”

Magill said the biggest challenge facing Libby is the lack of good, full-time employment. His solution is to work with the Chamber of Commerce and state agencies to bring jobs to Libby.

“If we had more opportunity for jobs, we’d see less of these for sale signs in our neighborhoods,” he said.

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Joanne Newman

• Candidate, 58

• Married, Larry; three children,

• Caregiver, nursing assistant

When asked why she was running for City Council, Joanne Newman didn’t bat an eye: “Because I love Libby.”

Newman has lived in Libby for 22 consecutive years since arriving with her parents, Glenn and Rose Woods in 1962.

She said when she left, she always knew she’d be back.

“Because I love it here, I care,” Newman said. “We’ve all seen a lot of changes. They come. We accept them. However, what we’re seeing now is something that I, and others don’t like, and that’s the lack of transparency. As citizens, we seem to be ignored and when we do ask questions, they are not being answered satisfactorily, I think. Our priorities seem to be askewed.”

Newman said she is particularly concerned about equal rights and not just for the special few.

“We’re getting to the point where it seems the only people who have rights are those with the badges,” she said. “We all have rights. People tell me they feel the City Council doesn’t give them the respect they deserve.”

Newman said she was particularly agitated  when she heard city leaders drove to Helena to pick up an award for the renovated Riverfront Park.

“I’m sure they drove, got mileage, had their pictures taken. Maybe they even spent the night. How much did that cost our city? Couldn’t they have said ‘thanks,’ and asked them to mail it? That’s what I mean about priorities askew.”

Newman said she understands Riverfront Park is a symbol of Libby coming back after everything with being an EPA Superfund site, but there should have been other priorities first.

“To me, this is just so simple: We should be fixing the roads in town before we spend all this money on the park,” Newman said.

Newman admits she is not as savvy about budgets and all the intricacies of city government, but she says she’s willing to learn, and she will always vote in a way that keeps an eye toward fiscal responsibility and what’s best for Libby’s residents.

“My first order of business is to make sure the public is informed,” Newman said. “Like I said: I love Libby, so I guess I’ll be voting with my heart.”

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Michael Shock

• Candidate, 63

• Married, Anita; five grown children

• Retired construction contractor

Michael Shock has done much in his 63 years — prepared bids for a construction company, worked for a water district and cared for elderly in a nursing facility.

Now, Shock, a resident of Libby for seven years, wants to put that experience to good work for Libby and its residents, he said.

“I understand finances. I had to,” Shock said. “I still have all my bid proposals. And when I worked for the water district, I had to account for all the materials, workers’ hours, all were itemized. I had to turn those in on a daily basis.”

For Shock, a mushroom hunter, outdoorsman and woodworker, Libby is in crisis.

“Right now, Libby is at an important place in its history,” Shock said. “I’ve talked to people. There is a real lack of trust, a lack of sensitivity from the council up to the mayor. This is what I’m hearing.”

Specifically, Shock said there is no transparency, contending there is too little dialogue during City Council meetings.

“There’s hardly ever any discusssion,” he said. “Council meetings last 15 to 30 minutes. There’s never any discussion, so the public never hears the issues. You know, there are lies of omission. You can lie by not telling the whole truth. I feel like too many times they act on their pet projects.”

Shock said he doesn’t agree with current city policy too much, but he said he does agree with City Administrator Jim Hammons who says the water lines must be repaired.

“We were losing up to 70 percent of all the treated water,” Shock said. “That’s just too much. It’s too expensive and  needless wear and tear on city services.”

If elected, Shock said he will work first to get the city’s budget in order.

“We need to look at the budget and start setting money aside for these projects,” Shock said, specifically mentioning the Flower Creek Dam project.

“The city should have been saving for that all along.”

Shock said he is not against parks, but Riverfront Park is “the big headache.”

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Brent Teske

• Candidate, 48

• Married, Dee; six children

•Business owner

For 11 years, Brent Teske was a peace officer in Libby, a policeman rising to the rank of sergeant.

A Libby native, Teske started coming to City Council meetings as the Veterans Foundation Committee began working with the city to bring a war memorial to Riverfront Park.

“I saw what was going on and so did others,” Teske said. “We need to put all the petty stuff behind and get down to the city’s business. I guess I would consider being the peacemaker. Yes, I guess that’s the cop coming out in me. The meetings are both enlightening and disheartening.”

As the Veterans Committee secretary, Teske was challenged with meeting the city’s expectations for the monument. Now, he said he understands the criteria and the need for the city’s requests.

“After I sat down with the city attorney, I understood the need for all the hoop-jumping,” said Teske, a Navy veteran. “I get it. I just wish we had known all that in the beginning.”

As a businessman, Teske said the most critical challenge facing Libby is economic development.

“We really need some kind of economic base,” he said. “Stinger was just a flash in the pan. It was presented as a big savior, but we all know what happened there. We need sustainable growth for our families.”

Teske said he hears the comments about the lack of transparency on the council. He said the limited amount of conversation and the brevity of those meetings can only mean a concensus has already been reached.

“Too often the public is left out of the conversation,” he said. “Let’s stop all the petty arguments and get down to real discussion and work for the city.”