In Flathead County, the board of commissioners acts as both the executive and legislative branches of government. Most decisions on county policy fall within their purview, especially those involving county money or land development.
This year, the District 2 seat, currently held by Democrat Joe Brenneman, is up for grabs and has already caused a flurry of political action.
As of press time on March 15, the deadline to file for public office, the five candidates are incumbent Brenneman, Republican former County Commissioner Howard Gipe, Evergreen business owner and Republican Pam Holmquist, Democrat Noel Gorton of Creston and Republican Patrick Nickol.
The decision to run again for his seat was not an easy one for Brenneman. It took plenty of thought, input from supporters and, most importantly, advice from his wife, to get him to file the papers.
“I have been a reluctant politician from the last filings (in 2004),” Brenneman said. “There are people who have certainly been urging me to do it.”
He heads into the campaign with three goals: streamlining county finances, protecting water quality and public safety.
The financial trimming would start by going through the county’s budget and figuring out what accounts for mandatory spending and what doesn’t, he said.
Then, the commission needs to be sure the county’s processes are as efficient as possible. Tightening the budget does not mean the county is on the financial brink, Brenneman said, but it is good business practice.
Brenneman said he has been interested in water quality for years and has either founded or joined several groups dealing with different water quality facets.
In terms of public safety, Brenneman hopes to arm emergency responders with the best communication equipment available. To help, the county has received a grant for new radios for firefighters, Brenneman said.
Brenneman said he expects criticism during the campaign as the incumbent. But as far as property rights go, Brenneman said his voting record shows he has voted to approve most development projects.
“In my campaign I won’t criticize the other (candidates), I’ll stick to the issues,” Brenneman said.
As the other Democratic candidate in the race, Gorton decided to run because she thinks she can make a difference on the commission and help the Flathead progress.
“I’d like to have an opportunity to work with some of the money we have and resolve some of these issues and keep going forward and not regressing,” Gorton said.
To Gorton, regressing means paying county money for lawsuits that could have been avoided if rules had been followed, such as the latest proposed North Shore Ranch Subdivision settlement. In that case, Gorton said the commissioners may not have agreed with the subdivision, but, in her opinion, it was technically legal.
“You don’t make the laws because you’re a commissioner,” Gorton said. “You uphold what’s there.”
Gorton also said she was curious about the authority some county boards have over employment decisions, such as the Flathead County Fair Board, and whether they are being held accountable.
The campaign will give her time to get acquainted with the inner workings of county government, Gorton said, and she plans on studying everything she can. If elected, she said she would stop working at her Creston business and be a full-time commissioner.
“I am very excited about the position of county commissioner. It is one of great responsibility, it oversees everything in the valley,” Gorton said.
On the other end of the political spectrum experience, Gipe said he has enjoyed a nonpolitical life since serving on the commission for 18 years. But somehow, he said, he’s been pulled back in.
“Sometimes I wonder why I would do this again, but I’ve had so much pressure with people calling me and asking me to go straighten it out down there,” Gipe said.
Gipe said he was spurred on by two of the commission’s recent decisions. The first was how they handled the North Shore Ranch Subdivision, which in his opinion should never have gotten as far as a lawsuit, let alone a settlement.
The other decision was to spend $10,000 on a private investigation into the county planning department. Commissioners should be involved enough with county processes to know if there’s departmental malfunction, he said.
A former highway patrolman, Gipe said he would focus on trimming the county budget and realigning county departments he perceives as divided.
Gipe, who served in the District 2 seat from 1986 to 2004, is skeptical that the county’s current cash reserves will be enough to sustain it through the recession.
He said government can burn through money quickly, and the county may need to take more drastic action to keep cash reserves up, which could mean cutting county jobs or freezing wages.
“I’ve done that before,” Gipe said. “I don’t like doing it.”
Another of Gipe’s goals is to work with state lawmakers to figure out solutions for the recent reappraisal cycle and its impact on Flathead residents.
If elected, Gipe said he would start checking county budget and department efficiencies before January.
“I have the knowledge, the common sense and an education to do everything out there,” Gipe said.
As another of the three Republican contenders, Holmquist said her experience as a business owner for 32 years would give her the ability to make hard decisions, but only after plenty of careful consideration.
“I’m a person that likes to listen and learn and maybe solve some problems,” Holmquist said.
During her campaign, Holmquist said she would focus on the struggling economy and boosting low job numbers in the valley. A recent economic summit in conjunction with Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher gave a sense of possibility, Holmquist said.
The budget is one of the commission’s biggest responsibilities, Holmquist noted, and she said she is taking steps to familiarize herself with the county’s spending habits. As a self-described fiscal conservative, Holmquist said she plans on making sure the county doesn’t “overspend or overpromise.”
Private property rights are also on Holmquist’s radar. She said the county can sometimes over-regulate on these matters, but she understands that it is a big issue with many moving parts in the Flathead.
“Every situation is different and it has to be looked at that way,” Holmquist said.
As a member of the Flathead County Water and Sewer Board, Holmquist said water issues would be a critical part of the Flathead’s future.
Holmquist said being on the commission would be a way to serve the community where she has lived in her whole life.
“As a commissioner, you need to do what’s right for the county as a whole,” Holmquist said. “It’s not about you.”
The third Republican contender, Nickol, said he was driven to enter his name into the race by a sense of civic duty and a love for the Flathead Valley. In the construction business since 1979, Nickol said he has watched the valley cycle through feast and famine, but the latest economic downturn has been the worst.
The valley needs to come up with a new way to bring money in, Nickol said, because the historic industrial giants – timber and aluminum – have suffered serious blows.
“Those industries impacted this area lot from the financial standpoint and they’re not coming back,” Nickol said.
Nickol said the answer could lie in the health care industry and making the Flathead a retirement destination. The valley’s natural wonders could draw in both young health care professionals and people ready to retire, he said.
The Creston-area Republican said he understands that being a county commissioner in these tough economic times will probably be a thankless job, but Nickol said he’s willing to give it a shot for the betterment of the valley.
“I’ve complained a lot about governmentt and I guess I feel that after you complain that much you need to do something or stop complaining,” Nickol said. “I’m doing something.”
The primary election is on June 8.