General Philosophy
Unlike some political offices, the position of County Commission is not dominated by partisan debate but rather by differing approaches to problem-solving. In other words, the political party that one belongs to is less important than the candidate’s ability to work within the community to get things done. The Commission form of government requires that two out of the three Commissioners must agree on each decision, so the ability to find common ground, work through differences and create workable solutions is critical to success. During my term of office, I have dealt with a wide range of issues on your behalf.
To each issue, I have brought a consistent approach of thorough analysis, community input and long term planning. These methods have allowed Cascade County to continue to improve our services to our citizens, solve a number of long-standing problems, streamline government and secure good-paying private-sector jobs for our citizens while reducing county debt loads, all without new taxes.
Jobs, Jobs and More Jobs
As Commissioners, we are faced daily with a variety of issues, but none is as important in the long term as jobs. This has always been the case and the pandemic has only proven the importance of a strong and stable economy. The creation and retention of good-paying jobs with benefits are what will allow our community to move forward. In your home, your paycheck or investment earnings pay your bills; in County Government, it is property taxes that fund the services we all rely on. Without an economy that provides good-paying jobs with benefits, neither your family nor local government can survive for long. All levels of government must do everything possible to foster the creation and retention of good-paying jobs. This does not mean using cash offers to steal businesses from other areas or providing some sort of corporate welfare. It means working every day to streamline permitting processes, to keep taxes low on a long term basis and applying regulation carefully and only when needed.
We can not afford to lose jobs because of inappropriate or outdated regulations not involving public health or safety. A community needs to welcome potential new employers and encourage existing employees to expand. We have made Cascade County business-friendly and must continue to work to keep it that way. My positions within the regional economic development organizations, my work to retain and strengthen both the Montana Air National Guard and Malmstrom AFB, and my Chairmanship of the Montana Association of Counties’ Community, Economic Development and Labor Committee are all examples of my efforts to retain and create new jobs for the citizens of Cascade County.
Public or Private?
Misinformation can run rampant in our community, and the issue of privatization of County functions is an area where misinformation seems especially active. A large portion of my job as your Commissioner is the fiscal management of the taxes you pay each year. It is my job to look for more cost-effective ways to deliver the services you pay for and expect to receive. Accordingly, I look at all options, including privatization, but in most cases, I have found that with some modification, we can actually provide the services less expensively in house. I know this is likely to surprise advocates of privatization, but in most cases thus far, privatization has not been the best alternative.
Since taking office, the analysis of our operations has led to a number of reorganizations and combining of departments to reduce administrative costs. We have privatized the Solid Waste Division but have also brought most of ExpoPark operations back in house. In other words, we are utilizing the private sector where it makes sense and working to improve in house operations in those areas best served by the public sector. In some areas such as Public Works, Adult Detention and the ExpoPark, we utilize a blending of both in house operations and private contractors. The process of analyzing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations is never-ending, and in my opinion, all options, including privatization, must be considered. I am neither an opponent nor a proponent of privatization; I am an advocate for whatever works the best for our citizens.
Role of Government
The role of any level of government is to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. In county government, this means adequate patrol and investigative resources within the Sheriff’s department, maintenance of jurisdictional agreements with the cities and towns of Cascade County, the operation of the jail, the operation of the juvenile detention center, emergency service dispatch, rural fire, disaster preparedness, maintenance of roads, operation of a health department, control of infectious diseases and through the office of the County Attorney, prosecution of all criminal offenses.
Secondarily, the county government is charged with a variety of other important functions such as suppression of weeds and mosquitoes, land use planning, operation of Justice Court as well as the administration of a variety of services for our older citizens. Lastly, the county government is responsible for a wide array of paperwork functions that, although far from glamorous, are essential all the same. All offices of government, however, must be accountable for the tax dollars that are spent regardless of what services it provides. No part of local government nor any employee or elected official is exempt from the requirement of being a good steward of the public trust and public funds. In Montana, the role of setting and enforcing budgets for county government lies with the Commission.
Advocate and Partner
In addition to our daily role of managing the fiscal operation of the county and responding to citizen’s questions and concerns about county government, Commissioners are also engaged in an advocacy role for our citizens. Sometimes this is helping a citizen with a problem or concern dealing with a state agency or program, or it might be an issue with the City of Great Falls or the Federal government.
During my time in office, we were able to assist the citizens of Black Eagle in their successful efforts to keep their post office from being closed, partnered with the Sun Prairie Water and Sewer District to create a funding strategy to fund their needed water system upgrades, worked successfully with the EPA and DEQ on cleanup efforts in the Hughesville mining district area and have advocated on behalf of the citizens of Black Eagle for cleanup of their community by EPA. Working with partners has allowed the county government to get more done and put your taxes to work in a more effective and efficient manner.
Additionally, we are often called on to testify on behalf of our citizens and to assist in the crafting of legislation before the Montana legislature. Occasionally we have been called to testify before the US Congress or to participate in a national meeting of a Federal agency. All of these items are a part of the advocacy role filled by the Cascade County Commission, and I am proud to have the opportunity to serve you in this capacity.