County hires administrator - finally

Flathead County officials have finally found someone to fill the post of county administrator, a position that's been vacant since the end of 2003.

Mike Pence, currently the city administrator of Kemmerer, Wyo., accepted a job offer from the Flathead County Board of Commissioners Wednesday. He is scheduled to start Feb. 22 and will be paid an annual salary of $90,000.

The administrator coordinates the day-to-day running of county business, and manages and prepares the annual budget.

"[Pence] filled our expectations as close as anyone I've seen," said Commissioner Howard Gipe. He said it's important for an administrator to be familiar with both city and county government and to work well with other people.

Commissioner Gary Hall said checks into Pence's background and accomplishments produced "incredibly glowing" feedback. County employees also gave him a solid endorsement.

"We got 100 percent approval rating from the department heads who got to meet him," Hall said. "Everybody liked him. That means a lot to us."

Hall said he's also satisfied that Pence will be able to work well with other governmental entities. Relations between the county and area cities have been strained in recent years.

During the lengthy candidate search, commissioners also offered the job to two other people, but couldn't come to terms on a compensation package. The previous administrator, Don Avery, received a salary of about $68,000 at the end of his tenure. Former Columbia Falls city manager Myrt Webb has been filling in as a part-time interim administrator.

Commissioners initially capped the salary for the administrator at $70,000, but quickly found that they couldn't attract the candidates they wanted unless they offered more money.

"If this were Havre, it would be different," Hall said, but the demands placed on the county by rapid growth and tight budgets require someone who can command a higher salary. "You usually get what you pay for."

Pence has 29 years of experience in municipal management. He was county auditor in Hardin County, Iowa; city administrator in Sibley, Iowa; city manager in Ocean Shores, Wash.; and commercial development manager for the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington. He's been in Kemmerer for three years.

Though Pence said it was premature to discuss his priorities as county administrator, he noted that "most local governments have challenges with revenue and budgets," especially in fast-growing areas where demand for government services outstrips the ability to provide them. Indeed, a recent study noted that Flathead County's growth is heavily tilted toward rural areas, which dramatically increases the cost of serving citizens with things like roads, garbage collection and emergency services.

Though Flathead County covers a larger geographic area than many places he's worked, Pence said he had worked with rapid growth before and knows what the county is grappling with.

"I'm familiar with those kinds of impacts," he said.

Reporter Alan Choate may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at achoate@dailyinterlake.com