Republican Randy Brodehl wants to keep serving community by making the tough calls

Republican Randy Brodehl says he’s at a position in life where he wants to keep serving the public, even when that means making difficult decisions.  

Brodehl is seeking his second term as Flathead County commissioner, running against Democrat challenger Jim Lockwood in the Nov. 5 election.  

Brodehl says his 38 years in fire service prepared him for the commissioner role. 

 “In fire service you make critical decision about life and death,” he said. “We make decisions that are life and death in the heart of our community members. I’ve lived long enough to see those decisions personally so it’s often very difficult but I’m in the right spot in my life to do that with the experiences I have and the commitment I have to the community.”  

Brodehl and his wife Joyce have six children and 22 grandchildren. He first joined a volunteer fire department in 1970 and then became a career firefighter. He retired as the fire chief for Kalispell in 2008.  

He has a bachelor’s degree in fire service management and is an executive fire officer through the National Fire Academy.  

Prior to serving as commissioner, he was elected to the Montana state Legislature as the representative for Evergreen and northeast Kalispell in 2011. He served until 2018 when he hit the term limit.  

Brodehl currently serves as the Montana Association of Counties urban counties representative on the executive board and as chair of the justice and public safety committee and is a member of the National Association of Counties justice and public safety committee.  

“This is where my heart is,” Brodehl says of his decision to run again. “I’ve enjoyed making tough decision.”  

Brodehl provides a list of endeavors he’s most proud of having worked on during his tenure with the county. He calls paving the way for the construction of a regional septage plant in partnership with the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District a “heavy lift.” Hiring and promoting staff at the county is another item on that list.  

But it’s the work in the arena of public safety that continues to be at the top of the priority list.  

“We’ve added sheriff’s deputies,” he said. “I’m committed to doing everything I can to aid public safety. There’s been challenges, but we’ve increased wages for the county attorneys. We know these areas are short-staffed, but we’ve increased wages to help with that. With the 911 center, we’ve had pay increases and worked to arrange changes in shifts.”    

The county earlier this year purchased 114 acres of land south of Kalispell as a potential location for a future jail. Preliminary estimates for a facility put the project between $115 and $134 million.   

Brodehl voted in favor of the purchase and says that it’s an accomplishment in a 20-year goal by the county to get a new detention center.  

“That’s a huge milestone for us,” he said. “We average 100 inmates at the jail and that’s a real issue for us. We have people there who have a mental health crisis but there’s no secure facility for them. They are often there six months or longer waiting and the state doesn’t have a place for them.”  

A new detention center would solve that by creating a dedicated space for those who need mental health assistance, he said.  

When running for commissioner in 2018, Brodehl said he wouldn’t support a bond to construct a new jail. However, he says now the reality is that the county though it’s been saving funds for the facility won’t be able to save money quick enough and will have to ask voters to approve a bond.  

“We had hoped to put enough money aside, but it’s a heavy lift to fund a jail,” he said.  

In terms of the county budget, Brodehl stands behind the commissioners' continued ethos to “hold the line” when it comes to budgeting. It has allowed the county to put away 25% or more of the budget into reserves for planning and emergencies, he notes.  

“We’re able to respond more in the future and plan for catastrophic events because of that,” he said.  

Commissioners in January 2023 issued a letter criticizing homeless services organizations and asking the community to stop aiding the “homeless lifestyle.” 

Brodehl continues to stand behind the letter saying it was “effective” while pointing to the annual Point-in-Time Count led by the federal Department for Housing and Urban Development. In 2024, participants counted 199 homeless people as compared to 263 in 2023 in the Flathead area.

“We don’t want people who are here for free services to take advantage of the citizens publicly or privately,” he said.  “To me as a commissioner, you must separate people who are in need from those who are consuming private and public resources. There’s a dividing line there that is usually pretty clear.” 

In terms of infrastructure, he says the commissioners are doing what’s possible when balancing the budget and spending on necessary road and bridge work.

Regarding growth, Brodehl says he drives to areas where subdivisions are proposed or underway to understand what’s going on. He notes that the county budget is delayed in seeing increases in funding as a result of new growth because of the state appraisal cycle. 

“I’ll continue to work with legislators to make sure they understand our local needs,” he said. “And any potential laws that could have a negative impact on us.”  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.   

Rand Brodehl  

Age: 69 

Family: Wife Joyce, six adult children and 22 grandchildren. Parents live in Evergreen. 

Occupation: Flathead County Commissioner 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Management 

Community involvement: Retired Kalispell Fire Chief, eight years in the Montana House of Representatives, member of Canvas Church.