Longtime Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan retired on Aug. 30 after more than 30 years working in the county’s prosecution office.
Corrigan announced his retirement via an Aug. 16 letter to the Flathead County Commission. He met with the commission on Aug. 30 to ask the commission again to consider Deputy County Attorney Travis Ahner as the office’s leader until the end of Corrigan’s term at the end of the year.
“I strongly recommend that you appoint Travis Ahner to be County Attorney for the remainder of this term,” Corrigan wrote in his resignation letter. “He is experienced, has the support of the office, and will be elected County Attorney in November.”
Ahner ran for the county attorney seat as a Republican and secured the nomination in the primary election in June. He remains unopposed headed into the November general election.
Ahner said Corrigan didn’t micromanage while leading the office, which has made Ahner’s first week at the helm much easier.
“He does not micromanage, he really trusts his employees. He’ll give you some guidance but then he’s going to let you handle things, make decisions, and stand by those decisions,” Ahner said. “These people know how to do their jobs because Ed has trusted them to do so.”
Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist said Corrigan’s resignation wasn’t unexpected.
“Well, it’s going be a transition anyway when Travis takes office, and Ed just decided to retire a few months early and that was fine,” Holmquist said. “I wished him well.”
Corrigan joined the county’s prosecution office in 1986 after earning his law degree in 1983 at the University of Arkansas. He worked as a prosecutor in Hill County prior to taking the job in Flathead County. He ran for county attorney in 2002 as a Republican candidate, and has held the office ever since.
“He’s worked 34 years for the county; that’s quite a stint,” Holmquist said. “It’s real commendable.”
Corrigan wrote in his resignation letter that “[i]t has been a pleasure and privilege to serve Flathead County since 1986.”