Candidates answer questions
The Libby City Council could see an influx of new faces next year, as four of the six council seats are up for election this November. Three of the seats, those currently occupied by Allen Olsen, Peggy Williams and Bill Bischoff, are for regular four-year terms. One, currently held by Dejon Raines, is for the remaining two years in the term.
Nine candidates have declared for the three four-year seats. Montana law requires there one candidate more than three times the number of seats available in order to hold a primary. With nine candidates for three seats, there will not be a primary this year. Raines is the only candidate to declare for the two-year term fragment. Barring a write-in candidate, she will be unopposed in November.
Each of the candidates were provided a questionnaire with the same 12 questions. This will be the first in a series of articles in The Western News with each of the candidates’ answers to those questions. Candidates Doug Roll and D.C. Orr did not return the questionnaire.
Each candidate was asked to provide a brief personal history. The answers from the candidates are being presented in random order.
Joe Miller:
My name is Joe A. Miller. I was born in Libby in 1970 and attended Libby public schools. I joined the Montana Army National Guard in 1989 and served for 12 years. I attended Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland, Wash., and received an Associates of Applied Science in 2004. I currently own and operate the Libby Kwik Lube. I have been married to my wife, Cyndi, for 20 years. My hobbies include hunting, fishing, boating and snowmobiling.
Gary Beach:
Initially, my family moved to Libby in its prime. My grandparents, Dave and June Kreitler, came here during construction of the dam, at that time Libby was a bustling community with loggers, lumber mills, mines and opportunity. Through the years my father would go on leave and come visit Libby enjoying all that Libby had to offer. Upon his retirement from the Army, we made the move to Libby in 1989. Being born in Germany to an American father and a German mother, life in Libby was not easy at first. When we arrived, I spoke little English and at first Libby was not my idea of a great place to live. As I attended school and made friends, Libby became home and I started to appreciate what it had to offer. After graduating from Libby High School in 1995, I did some traveling and, having had the opportunity to see many different people and places, I chose to make my life here with my wife Jill.
Arlen Magill:
I moved to Libby in March 2007. Before that I lived in western Washington for most of my life. My work background is mostly in manufacturing, precision sheet metal, steel fabrication, shipping and receiving. I am married and have two small children, ages five and almost seven.
Joseph Johnston:
My name is Joseph E. Johnston. I was born and raised in Libby. My education and employment experience is in accounting and business and employment consulting. Like most young people, I left Libby after high school to pursue my career. I had a six-year interruption for military service, before returning to work. I returned to Libby in 1986, shortly after my father passed away, and have worked in Libby until my recent retirement. I have been active in the past with the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce. I have been an active member of the Libby Elks Lodge for more than 20 years and have served on the Libby City Council in the past for several years.
Brian Zimmerman:
I have been married for more than 23 years to my wife, Tammie, and have two sons, Levi, 23, and Sawyer, 21. I have lived in Libby for more than 42 of my 45 years and currently work at Timeberline Auto Center. I have worked in construction, for 12 years, in Libby mills for 10 years, as an apprentice mechanic and heating and refrigeration for two years and in the customer service business for more than two years.
Peggy Williams:
I grew up in Virginia, went to college in Tennessee and came to Montana in 1970, moving from Great Falls to Libby in 1977. My two daughters grew up in Libby and graduated from Libby High School. Family involvement in operating an area business meant that supporting the community by attending service club events, fundraisers and public meetings was a given. It was the attendance at public meetings that created my interest in running for City Council.
Allen Olsen:
I was born and raised in Libby. I am 57 years old and the single father of a three-year-old son. I started Antler Tree Nursery, Gifts and Irrigation in 1998.
Dejon Raines:
I had the privilege of growing up in Libby and graduating with the Libby High School class of 2001. I went on to receive my Bachelor of Science from Montana Tech in Butte. In 2005, I decided that Libby was home and where I needed to be. I am currently a real estate broker with Irene Loveless Realty and have been selling real estate with my father, John Ague, for 10 years.
What skills and/or experience make you best suited to sit on the City Council?
Joe Miller:
With the exception of a few years, I’ve lived in Libby my entire life. Growing up I’ve seen Libby flourish during good economic times and struggle through the difficult ones. I have worked through my own personal struggles by keeping an open mind and solving problems by looking forward and embracing new ideas. That is a characteristic that will serve our government well.
Gary Beach:
Life and work experiences have taught me to manage personnel and budgets, problem solve, communicate and overcome hardships.
Arlen Magill:
I am an honest person who has attended around 50 Libby City Council meetings. I do a great deal of research on various Libby City Council topics.
Joseph Johnston:
My education and my career experiences are skills that were and can be used again should I be fortunate enough to be elected. The years I served on the City Council were very enlightening and educational. I would bring to the council an ability to be pragmatic; to serve the people with a cool head and a sense that the council must be united. A united council is necessary to solve problems and continually move forward when doing the city’s business.
Brian Zimmerman:
I believe that my work history, projects and experiences would make me a viable individual to work on the Libby City Council.
Peggy Williams:
Over the almost eight years of serving on the City Council, I have taken advantage of training offered by the Local Government Center and attended the conferences sponsored by Montana League of Cities and Towns. I have been chairman of the cemetery and parks committee and the ordinance committee, as well as serving on the City of Libby Planning Board since its formation in 2005.
Allen Olsen:
I have been on the City Council for three and a half years and I am not afraid to think and speak for myself. I have run a successful business for 18 years.
Dejon Raines:
My job as a real estate broker has fine-tuned my communication skills and my ability to facilitate transactions that benefit both parties involved. I assist people in all walks of life and with all sorts of diverse needs. It’s my job to listen, assess and problem solve. I feel these skills directly apply to the duties and responsibilities of a City Council member.