County approves new commission district boundaries
This map shows new political districts proposed by the Flathead County commissioners based on population figures from the 2020 Census. Each district would have roughly 34,800 constituents.
The Flathead County commissioners on Thursday finalized new commission district boundaries based on population growth throughout the county.
Each of the three commissioner districts will have about 34,800 constituents.
The county gained more than 13,400 residents over the previous decade, a nearly 15% increase that gave the county a population of more than 104,000 and made it the fourth largest county in Montana, according to Census figures.
The growth also left the districts with varying numbers of constituents — about 34,200 in District 1, 33,600 in District 2 and 36,600 in District 3, according to county records.
Commissioner Brad Abell represents District 1, which covers the northern portion of the county including Columbia Falls and most of Whitefish. Pam Holmquist represents District 2, which covers Evergreen and the southeastern corner of the county. Randy Brodehl represents District 3, which covers most of Kalispell and the area to the west, including Kila and Marion.
The boundary adjustments will shrink District 3, moving about 600 people from the southern part of Whitefish to District 1 and roughly 1,200 people from the southern part of Kalispell to District 2.
The area in Whitefish that would be redistricted covers 1,772 acres. It's bound by U.S. 93 to the west, Willow Glen Drive to the east and Hodgson Road to the south. The northern edge would be near Blanchard Lake Road.
The area in Kalispell that would be redistricted covers 332 acres. It's bound by U.S. 93 to the west, Whitefish Stage Road to the east and a jagged line to the north around 18th Street East and Haven Drive.
The redistricting proposal and maps were posted on the county’s website for 30 days, but no public comments were received, according to Deputy County Attorney Tara Fugina.
The next step is to have legal descriptions written for the revised district boundaries, and those are subject to judicial branch approval.
Commissioner Brodehl noted “a lot of work goes into putting this together” and thanked those involved in the process.