Page 16 - Flathead Beacon // 9.21.16

NEWS
ELECTION 2016
Private Property, Jail Crowding and Mental Health at Center of
Commission Race
One of Flathead County’s most powerful seats is up for grabs, with incumbent Republican Pam Holmquist squaring o against Democratic political newcomer Eileen Lowery
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
With perhaps the most caustic presi- dential 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 coun- ty’s most powerful positions — a seat on the Flathead County Commission — will have a direct e ect on how Flathead County continues to grow and evolve into the future.
As the board with the nal say on the many policy issues within the county’s borders, the county commission serves not only as the executive branch of gov- ernment, but as the legislative as well. This means the three-person board not only has the power to say where resi- dents’ 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 Demo- cratic political newcomer Eileen Low- ery 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 Ever- green, Holmquist worked for 32 years at her family’s business, Rocky Moun- tain Marine, before being elected to the commission.
She took over the job as the chair- person 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 navi- gated its way out of the recession, Holm- quist 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 di er- ent. 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 sav- ing $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 sheri ’s o ce and nding space for treatment along with incarceration.
“It’s the whole sheri ’s o ce, 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 di er- ent angle. Living now in Kalispell, Low- ery’s background includes helping estab- lish Manzanita Services in Mendocino County, California, a nonpro t organi- zation serving those with mental health issues. Lowery moved to the Flathead ve years ago, and is the volunteer director for the National Alliance on Mental Ill- ness activities in the Flathead.
From her perspective, the county should be spending money on more men- tal health services, or applying for more grants that would fund those services. Jail-diversion programs, speci cally
those dealing with drugs and mental ill- ness, 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 di er- ence 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” depart- ment heads and county sta . The com- mission budgeted well during the reces- sion, she said, and the county is now in a good nancial 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 pro- posed by the county parks department.
That money could fund a compliance o cer for various court programs to keep people from reo ending, as well as more Flathead County sheri ’s deputies, Low- ery 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 Coun- ty’s history — de ning 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 gure it all out,” Holm- quist said. “I’m going to continue to do what I’ve done.”
If elected, Lowery said she would pur- sue options for tra c 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 cam- paign 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.”
mpriddy@ atheadbeacon.com
NAME: Eileen Lowery
PARTY: Democrat
AGE: 57
RESIDENCE: Kalispell
YEARS IN VALLEY: Five
FAMILY: Widowed, two children
COURTESY PHOTO
NAME: Pam Holmquist
POLITICAL PARTY: Republican
AGE: 63
RESIDENCE: Evergreen
YEARS IN VALLEY: Born and raised here FAMILY: Husband, three children
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
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SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM