Council decides not to bill Burns

A few words of reason by the city manager was enough to change the minds of the Whitefish City Council about sending a bill to the Burns campaign for protecting Vice President Dick Cheney during his visit here Aug. 16.

Police chief Bill Dial calculated about $1,000 in overtime costs for the vice president's visit. Fire chief Dave Sipe figured an ambulance and two paramedics cost $346.

Opponents of Cheney and Sen. Conrad Burns have voiced public criticism of the city providing free police and fire service for campaign services. On Sept. 18, the council voted 5-1 to send a bill to the Burns campaign for police and fire overtime costs.

Councilor Nancy Woodruff, who introduced the motion, said at the time she thought it was unfair for taxpayers to pay campaign expenses for someone they opposed. She raised the issue again on Monday, asking staff if the letter had been written and sent to the Burns campaign.

City manager Gary Marks, who has been out of the country, said he wasn't sure if he or mayor Andy Feury were designated to write the letter. But he also had some comments to make about the idea.

"I think there's a big downside to doing this, but I will write it if you want," he told the council.

Marks said all three congressional delegations help the city, providing Whitefish with "big bucks."

"If this is a political point, then fine," he said, "but there could be some subtle impacts later on that would be detrimental to our community. Our first duty should be what's best for our community."

Councilor Nick Palmer motioned to rescind the earlier council decision and not send the letter.

"I think Gary's comments are compelling," he said. "The odds are, we aren't going to collect the money anyway."

Councilor Shirley Jacobson seconded the motion, noting that she had voted earlier in opposition.

"I don't like the idea of the vice president coming here for political reasons, but I also feel we should respect the vice president," she said.

Not everyone agreed.

"I feel he needs to earn our respect," councilor Velvet Phillips-Sullivan said. "It's not the taxpayers' place to pay for fund-raising for political candidates."

Woodruff said she supported the council's change in direction.

"I agree, but I'm concerned that city staff was reluctant to send the letter after the council directed them to," she said.

Feury said there was some kind of mix-up about whether he or Marks should have sent the bill to the Burns campaign. But he also had some comments to make about the matter.

"Whether we bill them or not may not matter," he said, "but I feel the vice president should have taken the time to say a few words to the people of Whitefish rather than race in and race out in his limousine."

Feury said the vice president's action was "not nice," and he said he was willing to put that into a letter to either Burns or Cheney. He also claimed the Bush administration, led by Karl Rove, had promoted a "politics of divisiveness" that has hurt the country.

The vote to not send the bill to the Burns campaign was 4-2, with councilors Phillips-Sullivan and John Muhlfeld in opposition. Right after the vote, councilor Cris Coughlin asked to change her vote but was turned down by Feury.

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