West end candidate forum ends in boycott

DEBORGIA - Several Mineral County Sheriff’s candidates and a justice of the peace candidate opted-out of a forum held at the Old Schoolhouse in DeBorgia May 21.

The candidate forum was scheduled for sheriff and Mineral County commissioner candidates to answer citizen questions. All the commissioner candidates were in attendance. 

Only one candidate running for justice of the peace candidates did not attend the next night, May 22. 

Candidate Mark Grimm running for justice of the peace, and sheriff candidates Mike Toth, Tom Bauer and Adam Cole didn’t attend because they felt it would be unfair based on the predetermined questions that would be asked. 

“We knew it would be biased so we didn’t attend,” Toth said. 

Candidates were provided with an “employment application” for Mineral County. However, the application wasn’t an official county document. Mineral County Attorney Marcia Boris advised the organizers, John Dubois and Bruce Charles, that it couldn’t look like an official employment application.

All of the protesting candidates believed that asking questions relating to blood pressure and who paid, or didn’t pay taxes would be unfair. 

Some of the sheriff questions asked if you have ever been terminated from any law enforcement job, terminated from any job because of moral turpitude and if they have ever been named in a lawsuit relating to the violation of civil liberties or the Bill of Rights.

“We felt these three questions were very important to the audience of citizens,” Charles said. “The county attorney has shown great concern for absolutely clean records for deputies dating back 20 or 30 years.” 

In an email statement to the community formerly declining the invitation, the aforementioned candidates said, “we are not politicians.  We are citizens stepping up to make a difference instead of complaining about the issues facing the community.  It is critical for us to conduct ourselves in a manner appropriate to the positions we are running for.”

Dubois responded by saying, “the whole idea was to streamline the introduction process by having the candidates each read from the same form allowing the public to make comparisons on an equal footing of things they liked and did not like.”

Regardless, the event still went on. The near four-hour forum provided a different format to those held by the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce earlier in the month at Alberton, Superior and St. Regis. Besides the moderator, the audience was able to chime in at any time and ask questions. 

Sheriff candidate Rob Larson was the only one in attendance at an empty table. Larson answered all questions directed toward him. 

Some questions were directed at Larson as to why emergency response times for DeBorgia are delayed or often neglected. 

Larson responded saying officers need to be equally distributed throughout the county. If the Montana Highway Patrol is available, he would like to see them temporarily handle a call if they have a free officer until a deputy arrives. 

The second day of the forum featured the justice of the peace candidates. 

Juli Balenger, Pat Morgan and Dale Magone were in attendance to talk with the community. 

Grimm declined to attend the event as a candidate related to the format.