State of the county: Flathead in good shape, but threats loom

Flathead County government is in good shape on many levels, but there are threats on the horizon, Flathead County Commissioner Joe Brenneman told business leaders on Tuesday.

Brenneman, who lost to challenger Pam Holmquist in the Nov. 2 election, delivered the “state of the county” address during the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s monthly lunch meeting.

“The state of Flathead County is very solid, but some threats approach,” he said. “The threats I see, to put it bluntly, are ignorance and greed.”

Before launching into a list of accomplishments the county has made during his nearly six years in office, Brenneman, a Democrat, joked that with a new Republican commissioner taking office in January, the county no doubt would see the lumber industry and other local industries revived, lawsuits against the county mysteriously will cease and “we’ll probably get the cure for the common cold.”

Joking aside, Brenneman said it has been a privilege to serve as a commissioner.

“I’ve seen some of the very best of Flathead County,” he said, citing the generosity of Bruce Ennis and Margaret Davis, who gave the county a Lakeside waterfront park valued at $3 million.

“And I’ve seen some of the worst of Flathead County — greedy developers who don’t quite get it,” he said.

Brenneman said significant improvements have been made in the county budgeting process and the county’s cash reserves are at a good level. Flathead County has earned the state Distinguished Budget Award for the past four years.

He credited the administrative abilities of County Administrative Officer Mike Pence and his fellow commissioners for a team effort that has made the budget process more transparent.

Managing dwindling financial resources has been a challenge, he said. Since 2007 the county has lost the equivalent of 24 full-time employees — 16 to retirement or attrition and eight to layoffs.

The county has taken some bold steps to save or make money for the county, Brenneman said. Flathead was the first county to go with a private company to provide workers’ compensation insurance, a move that has saved the county a lot of money.

The outgoing commissioner cited a number of sizable grants that have allowed the county to make big improvements in public safety.

Roads will continue to be a challenge, but a new five-year review plan for county roads is helping to prioritize road projects, he said.

“I guarantee no county commissioner will solve all the road problems in Flathead County,” Brenneman said, noting the county’s 700 miles of gravel roads.

He stressed that the key to a thriving Flathead County is marketing what the area has the most of — quality of life, mountain views and a treasure trove of natural amenities.

“The product we have to sell is our area,” he said. “We must have reasonable, sensible planning. Our economy relies on taking care of what we have.

“It appears as if the Grand Old Party is in charge, and I’m OK with that,” Brenneman said. “I hope they’ll take care of preserving” this area.

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