Contractor eyes county post as 'civic duty'

Patrick Nickol has operated his own contracting business for the past decade and believes that small-business experience gives him a good foundation for being a county commissioner.

Nickol is one of three Republicans vying for a chance to face the Democratic opponent in commission District 2 in the general election.

He will go against Howard Gipe and Pam Holmquist in the June 8 primary election.

Absentee voting begins May 10.

“It’s my civic duty,” Nickol said of his decision to run for commissioner. “I think I’d do a good job. I have a good rapport with people and I think I’m easy to get along with. And I deal fairly well with controversy.”

Nickol is concerned about the number of lawsuits the county has been involved with in recent years and worries about taxpayers footing the bill.

“I don’t know why we get into lawsuits in the first place,” he stated. “My biggest thing is that it’s the taxpayers who end up paying.”

He said he will be surprised if the recent fair manager ruckus, with longtime manager Jay Scott’s contract not renewed, doesn’t end up in a lawsuit.

“How did it get to that point?” he wondered.

Nickol pointed out that the fair has a $1 million annual budget and acknowledged that finances have to be properly documented.

“In my experience you have to be able to explain to the boss where every penny goes,” he said. “I have a lot of experience managing money.”

Nickol sees the county budget as the most consuming issue for the next couple of years.

He has experienced the recession firsthand with his contracting business that specializes in dirt work and septic installations. He knows the loss of revenue stemming from the construction downturn also has affected county coffers.

To that end, he believes the county commissioners should focus more on economic development, finding ways to shore up that lost revenue by bringing jobs and business to the Flathead.

Nickol pointed out that Flathead County has “tremendous infrastructure” in terms of fiber-optic and electrical capabilities, and those should be promoted.

Another asset with potential is the Eagle Transit bus system, he said. He’d like to see the county’s transit system expanded more into outlying areas.

Nickol would like to see improvements in the county Road Department.

“I don’t think roads are being taken care of as they should be,” he said. “What I look at is we need to fix the roads and plow the snow. That would be my main focus.”

Road dust is a continuing problem, but the county needs to communicate with residents about the need to follow posted speed limits to keep dust at a minimum Nickol said.

Nickol said he believes most people don’t realize Flathead County is under a mandate from the state Department of Environmental Quality to have a dust abatement program in place, and that includes low speed limits on dusty roads.

“I think the commissioners could do a better job of letting people know that,” he said.

Nickol said he doesn’t know about all the inner workings of the Planning Office, but believes improvements have been made in the planning process since he moved to the Flathead in 1979.

“We still need more improvement,” he said.

A Montana native who grew up in Ledger and continues to enjoy rural living in Creston, Nickol said he would bring practicality and common sense to the job of commissioner.

“Do the basics,” he said. “Get a foundation laid. We have an opportunity at this point in time to do that.”

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com