Broadwater County Commissioners Open 2026 with Appointments, Policies, and Community Updates
Author: Rachael Brug, Staff Reporter
Broadwater County Commissioners Open 2026 with Appointments, Policies, and Community Updates
Rachael Brug
Staff Reporter
The Broadwater County Commissioners kicked off the new year on January 7th with a meeting focused on annual housekeeping, community engagement, and a series of board appointments crucial to county operations.
The session began with public comment, where commissioners highlighted two upcoming events for residents. Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Great West Engineering are scheduled to present updates on current and future infrastructure projects in Broadwater County—an opportunity for the public to ask questions directly. Commissioners also announced the final stakeholder meeting for county wildfire emergency planning, set for January 15th, and encouraged community participation.
A significant announcement came as Aaron Reynolds was officially introduced as the county’s new Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) Coordinator. Reynolds will be leading efforts in emergency planning and will provide updates on department activities, including upcoming tabletop exercises for local emergency preparedness.
In keeping with tradition, the board held elections for its leadership roles. Commissioner Debbie Randolph was unanimously elected as chair for 2026, while Commissioner Jesse Swenson was chosen as vice chair. Commissioner Lindsey Richtmyer noted that rotating these positions annually ensures a fair and balanced approach to county governance.
The bulk of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing and approving a series of annual resolutions. These included updates to mileage, lodging, and per diem rates for county business travel—now reflecting the latest IRS mileage rate of 72.5 cents per mile. Office hours for county departments were reaffirmed, with a reminder that some offices may close for lunch at the discretion of elected officials. Commissioners also set regular meeting dates, confirmed public posting locations for agendas, and clarified that working sessions may be held in various locations as needed.
The commission adopted updated policies for open meetings and public participation, including a five-minute limit per speaker during public comment, with flexibility at the chair’s discretion. Written public comments will now be attached to official meeting records if requested.
Board appointments rounded out the agenda. Charles Freshman was reappointed to the planning board, Gourd Pierce and Peter Rice to the noxious weed board, and Eric Stall and Doug Jones to the solid waste board. Lauren McLaughlin was welcomed to the fair board for a one-year term, while commissioners put out a call for volunteers to fill remaining vacancies on the board of health, parks and recreation, and mosquito boards.
The meeting concluded with approval of several county claims and a reminder of the essential role volunteers play in county government.
