THANKS FOR JOINING US TONIGHT..
WE BEGIN WITH THE RACE FOR LEWIS
AND CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF-
CORONER..
THE TWO CANDIDATES FACED OFF
TONIGHT AT A CANDIDATE FORUM
IN HELENA.
(TAKE VO)
INCUMBENT SHERIFF LEO DUTTON, A
DEMOCRAT, AND
MONTANA HIGHWAY PATROL SERGEANT
JAY NELSON, A REPUBLICAN, MET
FOR THE EVENT, SPONSORED BY THE
HELENA INDEPENDENT
RECORD.
DUTTON POINTED TO HIS TEN YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE AS SHERIFF, AND
HIS
OFFICE'S WORK ON ISSUES LIKE
MENTAL HEALTH AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE.
NELSON SAID THE OFFICE NEEDS A
DIFFERENT KIND OF LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT MORE STEPS NEED TO BE
TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY'S
CRIME RATE.
THE TWO MEN ALSO DEBATED OVER
THE VOTER-APPROVED MEASURE TO
EXPAND THE COUNTY JAIL.
NELSON SAID HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT
WHY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG TO
BEGIN REMODELING THE JAIL, AND
WHETHER THE PROJECT CAN BE
COMPLETED AT THE PRICE VOTERS
WERE TOLD.
DUTTON SAID THE COUNTY IS TAKING
STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
THE JAIL PROJECT, BUT IT'S
IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THE WORK
IS DONE RIGHT.
###




TAKE SOT: XX:44 OC:..THAT WE
CAN AFFORD. "WHEN I'M ELECTED
IN NOVEMBER, I'M
GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF
TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT WE'RE
GOING
TO DO, BUT IT'S PROBABLY FIRST
GOING TO BE STARTING WITH A
FEASIBILITY STUDY TO SEE IF THE
JAIL CAN EVEN BE BUILT THERE.
IF IT CAN, THEN WE'VE REALLY GOT
TO GET MOVING, SO THAT WE CAN
EXPAND THE JAIL, WHICH IS WHAT
THE CITIZENS WANTED, AND WE CAN
KEEP
IT TO BUDGET, AND WE CAN MOVE
FORWARD."
"IT'LL TAKE ABOUT 14 MONTHS.
WE'VE ASSEMBLED A GREAT TEAM.
I'M TELLING YOU, THEY'RE TOP-
NOTCH. NO, IT DOESN'T MEAN MOVE
AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT, I CAN
TELL YOU
THAT, BUT IT DOES MOVE, AND IT
MOVES EFFICIENTLY, AND
IT MOVES AT THE PACE THAT WE CAN
AFFORD."
ON CAMERA TAG
ABOUT 100 PEOPLE WERE IN THE
AUDIENCE FOR THE FORUM. ABSENTEE
BALLOTS WILL BE MAILED TO VOTERS
IN LEWIS AND CLARK COU
