Private Property, Jail Crowding and Mental Health at Center of Commission Race

With perhaps the most caustic presidential campaign in memory continuing to churn across the United States, it can be easy to shut down and forget that there are important local elections at stake as well.

One such race, for one of the county’s most powerful positions — a seat on the Flathead County Commission — will have a direct effect on how Flathead County continues to grow and evolve into the future.

As the board with the final say on the many policy issues within the county’s borders, the county commission serves not only as the executive branch of government, but as the legislative as well. This means the three-person board not only has the power to say where residents’ tax dollars should go, but it also controls the purse strings needed to put plans into action.

Once elected, a commissioner serves for six years.

This year, the election pits Democratic political newcomer Eileen Lowery against Republican incumbent Pam Holmquist for the District 2 seat. That district encompasses the southeastern section of the county, Evergreen, and parts of Kalispell.

Holmquist, 63, has held the seat since the 2010 election. A resident of Evergreen, Holmquist worked for 32 years at her family’s business, Rocky Mountain Marine, before being elected to the commission.

She took over the job as the chairperson of the board four years ago after then-Commissioner Jim Dupont’s death, and has held that title ever since.

Now that Flathead County has navigated its way out of the recession, Holmquist said it’s time to look to the future, to see where the county intends to go.

“At the end of the day, it’s love of county and just being able to serve,” Holmquist said of her quest for re-election. “It’s very humbling.”

Holmquist’s 2010 campaign was based largely on private property rights, and she said this year isn’t much different. In her time on the board, she helped develop and incorporate a Property Owner’s Bill of Rights into the Flathead County Growth Policy in 2012, which she said still remains one of her biggest accomplishments.

“I’d like to make sure that stays in there,” she said. “The growth policy is up for another update next year.”

The ever-increasing problem of an overcrowded jail is on the radar, with the commission already squirreling away money in the budget each year to save for an eventual new jail, with the goal of saving $14 million. Already, the county has set aside $5 million in three years.

Holmquist said the addition of 36 beds through a remodel of the Flathead County Justice Center will be a Band-Aid solution for a while, but the problem isn’t solved.

All options for reducing the pressure on the jail are on the table, Holmquist said, and though it’s been termed the “jail problem,” the solution will encompass not only jail space but also needs within the sheriff’s office and finding space for treatment along with incarceration.

“It’s the whole sheriff’s office, with the caveat that we’re going to provide space for treatment,” Holmquist said.

Democratic challenger Lowery, 57, believes the county could be doing more about the problem, but from a different angle. Living now in Kalispell, Lowery’s background includes helping establish Manzanita Services in Mendocino County, California, a nonprofit organization serving those with mental health issues. Lowery moved to the Flathead five years ago, and is the volunteer director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness activities in the Flathead.

From her perspective, the county should be spending money on more mental health services, or applying for more grants that would fund those services. Jail-diversion programs, specifically those dealing with drugs and mental illness, could help alleviate pressure in the jail, Lowery said.

Lowery agrees with Holmquist that something must be done to mitigate an overcrowded jail, but notes that this difference in their ideologies is what voters will have to consider when looking at the ballot.

“People need to have a choice. After sitting (in the commission’s chambers) for seven months and listening … I’m the better choice,” Lowery said. “I want it because we need change.”

Lowery said the county is already run well, due in large part to “stellar” department heads and county staff. The commission budgeted well during the recession, she said, and the county is now in a good financial position. But certain projects don’t jibe with her vision for the future.

While she believes the commission’s goal to save money is good, she doesn’t agree with the idea of saving hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for a future county gymnasium, a project proposed by the county parks department.

That money could fund a compliance officer for various court programs to keep people from reoffending, as well as more Flathead County sheriff’s deputies, Lowery said.

Both candidates put high value on private property rights. Holmquist said in her six years on the board, she’s seen many cases where neighbors ultimately just needed to talk to one another about an issue. It can be tricky in a county with a lot of un-zoned land, but it’s part of her job, she said.

“Most people don’t want to be zoned in the county,” Holmquist said. “I think zoning is a good tool. It serves a good purpose.”

Holmquist said she’s grown into the job, noting that it took a couple years to become fully versed in all its moving parts. At this juncture in Flathead County’s history — defining where the county will go from here — she believes this is an important asset in the race.

“I have six years of experience. I think that goes a long way because it takes you a few years just to figure it all out,” Holmquist said. “I’m going to continue to do what I’ve done.”

If elected, Lowery said she would pursue options for traffic reduction in the county, including aiming at removing the roundabouts on the U.S. Highway 93 Bypass around Kalispell.

She’s also vowing to run her campaign on less than $500, which she said represents her frugal nature. She’s out campaigning, which has given her a new appreciation for this community.

“I’m not criticizing the government; I just want to be part of the team,” Lowery said. “(Campaigning) has been a really good experience. The only person who loses is the one not in the race.”