It's time for leadership that actually listens.
Real leadership starts with listening to the people who are too busy working to attend a meeting in Kalispell. Nathan Dugan is running for County Commissioner to ensure every corner of this valley has a voice. The goal is simple: an economy that works for locals, property taxes that don't price out our seniors, and a commitment to keeping the Flathead a place where working families can actually thrive.
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Issues.
Most of us work hard to stay in the Flathead, but the rising cost of land and housing is making it harder every year. Even with county tax mills moving down, many families and seniors feel like they are being priced out of the communities they helped build. It is time for a County Commission that stays focused on the daily reality of the people who keep this valley running.
That starts with getting the basics right:
Click on the issues below to expand them.
Since 2020, Flathead County has added more new residents than any other county in Montana. This has made it nearly impossible for many local workers to buy a home. We need to build more housing for our workforce, but we have to do it without creating traffic jams or losing the open spaces that make this valley what it is.
I support a voluntary approach that shifts the right to build away from our rural land and into areas that can handle the traffic. This allows developers to pay landowners directly to keep their land as open space in exchange for the right to build more homes closer to town. It’s a way to respect property rights and compensate farmers through the market—not taxpayer dollars—while ensuring the Flathead stays a place where our families can actually thrive.
We all want our seniors to be able to retire here with peace of mind. While the county has successfully lowered its tax mills for five years in a row, the rising cost of living still puts a massive strain on our older neighbors. My priority is to keep the county budget disciplined so we can continue providing the high-quality services our seniors rely on without adding more pressure to their bank accounts.
Keeping our word to our seniors means ensuring that when they call for help, it arrives quickly. We must fully support our emergency services and protect the local programs that offer meals, transit, and care. It’s about managing our growth so we can afford to keep our community whole and our seniors independent.
Flathead County is a big place, and the decisions made at the courthouse shouldn't feel out of reach for the people living and working here. Most of us are too busy with jobs and families to drive to Kalispell for a county meeting. I believe your county government should come to you, not the other way around.
That is why I am committing to weekly Mobile Office Hours across the valley. Whether it’s at a local coffee shop or a community center, I will be available to answer your questions and hear your concerns where you live. No one should have to lose wages or time with family just to have their voice heard by their own local government.
Email Me
nathan@electdugan.com
Call me at (406) 315-7740
Flathead County works best when everyone is moving in the same direction. I believe the county should be a reliable partner for Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish. When our local governments work together, we can be more effective and ensure that every tax dollar is used to its full potential.
By building honest, consistent partnerships on local projects and shared services, we can get better results for everyone in the valley. It is about a county government that listens to its neighbors and stays focused on what is best for the people who live and work here.
Flathead County is a popular place to visit, but we need an economy that works as well in January as it does in July. That means focusing on the trades and steady, year-round jobs that allow people to thrive. Decisions at the courthouse should support the local small businesses and the workforce that keep our towns running. The people who do the work in this valley must be able to afford to live in it.
Changing how things work at the courthouse takes more than just a good plan. We need to reach voters in every corner of the valley. Your support funds the yard signs and mailers we need to share our message with the people who keep this valley running. Help us take this campaign directly to the voters by chipping in today.
Hey, I'm Nathan.
I'm running for Flathead County Commissioner to put my experience as a physical therapist and community builder to work for the residents of Flathead County.
Here's something that comes as no surprise: our valley is growing. Fast. We have the opportunity to learn from our recent pandemic-era growing pains, and more importantly, to learn from the successes and failures of other places that grew before us. I'm running because I believe that we need accountable, hardworking, and collaborative leadership that gets a handle on things before they reach a breaking point.
As a home health therapist, my job takes me into living rooms across the Flathead Valley. Every day, I see firsthand the very real physical and financial barriers our older residents face when trying to safely age in place, and how strained and underfunded local infrastructure makes it harder to access vital services when people fall ill.
My job is to evaluate these complex issues, look at how the underlying systems are working (or failing), and build a concrete, step-by-step plan to get things moving in the right direction. I want to bring that exact same approach to our county government.
I have a track record of working at both the state level and local level to ensure that working families can continue to afford to live here. Locally, I co-founded the community organizations Shelter WF and Livable Flathead to advocate for responsible planning and ensure the teachers, first responders, and everyday working families who keep our valley running aren't priced out of their hometown.
I was also proud to be appointed by Governor Gianforte to serve on his Housing Task Force in 2022, where I worked with a bipartisan group of legislators, policy experts, and stakeholders to identify solutions to Montana's post-pandemic housing shortage. This work has allowed me to develop relationships with state legislators from both parties, as well as with city officials locally in the Flathead. As a county commissioner, I will leverage these relationships to get everyone on the same page and move in the same direction where it makes sense, like on infrastructure and preserving our rural areas.
I don't believe leadership means sitting behind a desk in Kalispell all day. True leadership requires showing up. That's why I'm hosting "Mobile Office Hours" across the county during this campaign—and it's exactly what I'll keep doing once I'm in office. You shouldn't have to take a day off work to interact with your county government. Heck, you should be able to do it with a beer in hand at the end of a long day if you want to—and my Mobile Office Hours will make sure you can.
I want to hear what's on your mind and work together to keep the Flathead the Flathead. Call me at (406) 315-7740 or email me at nathan@electdugan.com anytime. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.
And maybe I'll catch you on the baseball diamond this summer! I founded the Flathead Adult Men's Baseball League in 2025 to give guys from all across the valley the opportunity to play baseball again, and more importantly, to hang out in dugouts, chew big wads of bubble gum, and swing wooden bats.
A few snapshots.
Let's Talk!
Whether you have a question about county infrastructure, want to grab a yard sign, or just want to suggest a great local spot for my next Mobile Office Hour, I want to hear from you. Drop me a message below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.