Holmquist retains commissioner seat

Republican incumbent Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist cruised to an easy victory Tuesday against Democratic challenger Eileen Lowery to retain her District 2 seat for a second six-year term.

Holmquist received 29,907 votes compared to 13,525 votes for Lowery.

The longtime Evergreen businesswoman charted her political course toward less government, lower taxes and fewer regulations when she first ran for commissioner. She believes she’s done what she promised to do and intends to keep her conservative values.

Holmquist has served as commission chairwoman for the past four years and said the experience has helped hone her skills as a commissioner.

“I’m humbled and honored to serve again,” Holmquist said late Tuesday night, thanking voters and her family.

She said finding a permanent long-term solution for a new county jail will be on the priority list during her next term. She envisions a jail facility that also would house the Sheriff’s Department and space for mental-health or other treatment.

“We’re just getting started on this,” she said. “I’m glad we got that planning grant.”

Flathead County is getting a $40,000 Community Development Block Grant to evaluate the county adult detention center and expansion options.

Holmquist also plans to talk to legislators during the upcoming session about their vision for creating better rehabilitation and treatment options for jail inmates, something “the whole state is having a problem with,” she said.

After recently talking with representatives of the forestry industry, Holmquist said she would like to “delve into the forestry side of things” to see how the county may be able to help create a brighter future for the timber industry.

Holmquist said she’ll continue to talk with county residents about local issues. That kind of citizen feedback is how she developed a property owners’ “bill of rights” was that was included in the 2012 growth policy. She plans to make sure it’s a part of a growth policy update that will begin next year.

“It’s not regulatory but it means a lot,” she said.

Lowery, a retired mental-health director, campaigned for better solutions to the county’s jail overcrowding problem, including expansion of rehabilitation services for drug and alcohol addiction and domestic violence, and increased use of home arrests and ankle bracelets.

Preserving water quality was another of the key points in Lowery’s campaign platform. She supported a citizen-initiated effort to expand the Egan Slough Zoning District to include property where a proposed bottling plant would be located.

The proposed expansion of the Egan Slough Zoning District is a matter the commissioners will be addressing soon, Holmquist said.

“It’s about zoning, not about the water bottling plant,” she said. “Part 1 (citizen-initiated) zoning is not real clear. Court cases have gone both ways. We’re taking our time and trying to get it right.”

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