County Board Positions Filled: New and Renewed
Author: Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter
County Board Positions Filled: New and Renewed Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter Broadwater County’s various boards are staffed by local volunteers. Each volunteer is approved to their position for a specific amount of time, and many seats were up for approval at the Jan. 25 county commission meeting.
The commission approved the following people for the various county boards:
Airport Board: Bob Hollister - 3-year term
Trust Board: Kim Kondelik and Virgil Binkley- 3-year terms
Tax Appeal Board: Chris Wright - 3-year term
Compensation Board: Chris Wright - 2-year term
Fair Board: John Rauser and Lisa Larson - 1-year terms
Townsend Mosquito Board: Stacy Sommer - 3-year term
Museum Board: Kevin Flynn, Chuck McLane and Jorja Munns - 3-year terms
Noxious Weed Board: Peter Reiss - 3-year term
City/County Parks and Recreation Board: Jennifer Dalrymple and Israel Schwope - 3-year terms
Board of Health: James “J.J.” Conner and Dwight Thompson - 3-year terms
Although many county board positions were filled, it did not go on without a hitch.
In his letter of interest for the Fair Board position, Rauser commented on the difficulty of finding people interested to participate.
“It is disappointing to see that there are over 5,000 people now living in Broadwater County and no one is willing to step up and get involved with the Fair Board, or any other board in Broadwater County,” Rauser wrote in his letter. “It appears there are too many people willing to complain about what is happening in our community, but they are unwilling to do something about it, stepping up and being a volunteer”.
Both he and Larson committed to continuing on the fair board temporarily, with the understanding that the county would seek someone else to replace them. Larson specified that she would no longer serve on the board after May 31, 2023.
The commission approved Larson and Rauser for one-year terms and explained that the two would have to file letters of resignation before another person could be assigned to their positions.
Commissioner Darrell Folkvord expressed gratitude to those who volunteer on the boards.
“We sure need our board members,” he said, adding that more south county residents have begun participating.
Following the approvals at the commission meeting, a member of the public suggested that the commissioners develop a means for thanking board members who have served for long periods of time as well as on multiple boards.
The commissioners hinted that something was already in the works.
Although 16 positions were approved during the Jan. 25 commission meeting, 17 positions remain open on the various boards.
Those interested in volunteering on a county board should contact Tacy Swanton at tswanton@co.broadwater.mt.us.
