Columbia Falls is notorious for its political politeness and generally sleepy local elections. Candidates or incumbents often run unopposed, ensuring victory. And while that may be the dream scenario for numerous politicians, newly elected Mayor Don Barnhart wishes he had at least one opponent run against him.
“Unfortunately it was unopposed,” Barnhart said last week. “I love citizen involvement in local politics.”
For Barnhart, public participation ensures a healthy local government and he wants to make sure Columbia Falls is at its best. The new mayor’s ties to the city run deep; aside from being born at the hospital in Whitefish and several years in the Army Reserve, Barnhart has spent his whole life working and raising a family in Columbia Falls with his wife of 37 years, Barb.
His father started B&F Excavating Co. in 1955, which Barnhart eventually purchased from his mother in 1993. And when it comes to public awareness and involvement in government, Barnhart was sure to practice what he preached.
He joined the volunteer fire department in 1979 and began serving as volunteer fire chief in 1991. With an interest in politics and an urge to help make city decisions, Barnhart joined the city council in 2003 and served as vice chair for outgoing Mayor Jolie Fish for four years.
Running for mayor after learning Fish would vacate the seat just seemed to make sense, Barnhart said.
“I’ve always been interested in government and being able to be the one making some decisions,” Barnhart said. “It was my wish to continue public service and to be an effective leader of the council.”
Barnhart said he has been happy with the way the city has been run since joining the council and believes that most of the residents in Columbia Falls feel the same way. However, there may be some challenges ahead with the city jail’s impending closure and the outgoing mayor’s uncertainty about the situation.
The jail will close in February when the county’s new 911 emergency call center opens. Flathead County residents passed a $6.9 million bond last fall to pay for the new center, which will merge the county’s four emergency dispatch centers. The 11,800-square-foot building will handle all of the county’s emergency calls and act as headquarters for emergency operations countywide.
To pay for its share of the call center, Columbia Falls will use the money it currently uses to pay the city’s emergency dispatchers, who also monitor inmates at the jail via camera.
Barnhart was fire chief when talks began for the new 911 center, so he feels well-informed on the closure. While the outgoing mayor may be uncomfortable with the jail’s closure, Barnhart is confident the council and the city’s police department will provide the leadership necessary to handle the situation.
“I feel comfortable that we’re certainly not going to injure any of the city by this move,” Barnhart said. “It’s change, and I think we’ll be able to deal with it.”
As for the possibility of the city housing a prerelease center, Barnhart is keeping mum until the situation becomes more of a possibility. The current prerelease site committee is still searching for a suitable Kalispell location. If that doesn’t work out, then Columbia Falls could form its own site committee and hear a presentation from the Butte-based company proposing to build the center, City Manager Bill Shaw said last month.
Though he acknowledged it could be a positive economic addition after the city’s loss of a timber mill and manufacturing jobs, Barnhart said he would need to hear from the prerelease committee and from city residents before forming an opinion.
But for now, Barnhart said he would focus on boosting public participation at city council meetings and in government processes. He encouraged residents to come and voice their thoughts at meetings, whether they are in line with the council.
“I think that people have been happy with our leadership on the council,” Barnhart said, “I’d just like to see more citizen participation, more people at the meetings.”