Whitefish candidate clarifies Texas connections

A mailer that implies Whitefish City Council incumbent candidate Frank Sweeney splits his time between Whitefish and Dallas, Texas, is "massively inaccurate," Sweeney said Monday.

Rick Blake, a Whitefish resident who has been monitoring the Whitefish city election via his I Love Stumptown political action committee, sent the mailer to Whitefish voters last week, pointing out that Sweeney and his wife have an upscale apartment in a Dallas condominium complex, a law office in a Dallas skyscraper and are active players in Texas political circles.

"I'm probably in Texas less than two weeks a year," Sweeney said, rebutting Blake's assertions. "This makes me just crazy."

Blake further noted in the mailer that the Dallas law firm of Howie & Sweeney LLP, of which Sweeney is a partner, has a Web site that claims the Texas firm has opened a branch office in Whitefish. But, Blake said, the branch office isn't registered to do business in Montana.

Sweeney said he currently practices law exclusively in Montana under the name The Law Office of Francis J. Sweeney, a sole proprietorship, which is not required to file with the Montana Secretary of State. He passed the Montana State Bar exam four years ago.

He said he has lived in Whitefish for nearly 10 years.

Sweeney's wife, Paula, is the name partner and founder of Howie & Sweeney, although Sweeney said he is a partner in the firm.

"However, my role has been more akin to a practice manager than handling any particular matter for the firm," Sweeney said. "It's a small firm and I manage the business aspects."

Regarding the Dallas condominium, Sweeney said he and his wife have been trying to sell it for the past 18 months and currently have it rented.

Blake said he circulated the mailer to "show Sweeney has shallow roots in Whitefish.

"I think he's out of touch with what our community needs," Blake said. "I think we need leaders on the City Council that are vested in a community, people who've raised a family here and make their living here."

Blake also said he felt compelled to publicize Sweeney's Texas connections after seeing how Sweeney portrayed himself to voters. He pointed to the first sentence of Sweeney's campaign Web site, describing the incumbent as "an active member of our community and a lawyer for 30 years."

Blake said Sweeney is using "clever wordsmithing" to give voters the impression that he's been in Whitefish for 30 years.

Sweeney said he and his wife have donated money to political campaigns in Texas as well as in Montana.

He noted, though, that he has donated money, time and pro bono legal assistance to a variety of local causes and nonprofits, including the Wave fitness center, A Trail Runs Through It, Glacier Institute and the Foys to Blacktail Trail project.

BLAKE'S mailer is the latest twist in a city election that largely has pitted three newcomers - Phil Mitchell, Bill Kahle and Chris Hyatt - against incumbent Sweeney, who was appointed in January to fill the remainder of Shirley Jacobson's term.

A few weeks ago, Whitefish businessman Tim Grattan sent out a mailer taking Sweeney to task for his support of the critical areas ordinance and his vote on the streetscape project.

Sweeney defended the streetscape decision, saying it was a five-year public process and "600 people signed a petition with erroneous information after it was approved."

As to his Aug. 17 vote on the streetscape construction contract, Sweeney maintained it "had nothing to do with narrowing the streets.

"The council voted to award the contract for Third Street construction after three weeks of a duplicate parking test, not to terminate the test," he said.

Sweeney also pointed out that he was the only council member who offered an amendment to allow change orders to the construction contract without change-order charges, but his motion was defeated.

Sweeney also continues to reiterate his support of the critical areas ordinance, saying that while "not perfect in its application," the law is beginning to work. He said at a recent candidate forum, however, that "if there's anyone who wants to work on the wording, I don't think I would be opposed."

Ballots for the Whitefish City Council election were mailed out last week. They must be returned by Nov. 3.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com