Three Republicans file for commissioner seat

Three Republicans filed for the District 1 Flathead County commissioner seat on Wednesday.

The District 1 position is open because of death of Commissioner Jim Dupont on Monday.

Chris Hyatt, currently a member of the Whitefish City Council and executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Flathead County, filed for office.

Another Whitefish resident, Rod Bernhardson, also filed. Bernhardson owns Landcastle Limited Remodelers, a construction, landscape, project management and property management company.

Cal Scott of Columbia Falls also filed. Scott is the founder and director of Enhancing The Homeownership Ideals for Communities education and counseling organization, based in Kalispell.

The filing deadline for the commissioner spot is 5 p.m. today.

County voters will elect a new commissioner this year for the District 1 seat because state law calls for an election to fill a commissioner vacancy that occurs in the second or fourth year of a six-year commissioner term.

The elected commissioner will serve for two years, through 2014. In November 2014, county voters will elect a District 1 commissioner to a regular six-year term.

District 1 includes the part of the county north of Kalispell, including Whitefish, Columbia Falls and the Canyon.

Commissioner Dale Lauman anticipates that he and Commissioner Pam Holmquist will appoint an interim commissioner prior to the primary election, unless something goes awry with the Republican central committee’s submission of nominees. The interim appointment would expire at the end of December.

If the commissioners don’t receive the names of nominees relatively quickly, Lauman said it’s possible he and Holm-quist might wait to see who wins the Republican primary contest for the District 1 commission spot and perhaps appoint that person to be the interim commissioner until voters make a final selection in the Nov. 6 general election.

The central committee plans to meet next week to hammer out the process for submitting a slate of three nominees to the commissioners.

Chairwoman Sandy Welch said she expects the committee to accept letters of interest, conduct interviews and then submit three nominees to the county commissioners, who make the final selection. The central committee hasn’t yet determined a time frame to do that work, she said.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.