Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
There will be some new faces on the Havre City Council next year. Of the four seats open, only one member has decided to run for re-election and another is still mulling the question over.
Longtime Havre resident Bob Kaul said Thursday that he plans to run for a Havre City Council seat on the Democratic ticket. He will file with the Hill County Clerk and Recorder's Office on Monday for the Ward 3 seat held by Democrat Tom Farnham, who is not seeking re-election.
Kaul, who moved to Havre in 1968, said he is running for the office in order to give back to the community and be a part of the changes that will affect Havre in the next few years.
"I feel it's time that I give back to the community because it's given to me," he said. "There are a lot of things that are going to happen in the next few years in Havre. Most of them are going to be good things, but it's going to take some thinking to get them done right."
The city's possible involvement in the Rocky Boy's/North Central Regional Water System and the resurfacing of U.S. Highway 2 through town are two of the larger issues on the horizon, Kaul said.
On April 4, the City Council voted to pay $21,000 to the regional water authority to study the costs of joining the system, which will bring water treated at Tiber Dam at Lake Elwell to at least 18,000 residents across seven counties.
Of the four council positions on the Nov. 8 ballot, only one incumbent has committed to run for re-election.
Ward 2 Republican Terry Schend said he still hasn't made up his mind whether or not to seek another term. He said he has no plans to run for mayor.
Ward 4 Democrat Allen "Woody" Woodwick said he will seek re-election, adding that he enjoys the work.
Farnham said he is not running for a third City Council term because of other commitments. He added that he is not planning to seek another public office at this time.
"I just have a lot of irons in the fire," Farnham said. "It's time to give somebody else a chance."
Ward 1 Democrat Dana West also said she would not seek another term because of other commitments. She is likewise not planning to run for another public office.
"I just need to slow things down for a bit," she said.
Brad Lotton, who chairs the Hill County Republican Party, said he has spoken with citizens who are interested in running for the four available council seats, but no one has made a commitment yet. Taking on the responsibilities of public office usually requires some thought, he said.
"We do have some people interested," Lotton said. "It's a pretty big commitment. They put in a lot of time, without pay, and get a lot of grief. It takes a pretty public-minded person to do that."
Hill County Democratic Central Committee chair Debi Friede also said the party has been in talks with possible candidates.
"It's kind of a process of matching up people," she said. "We develop a search committee and start brain-storming. These people take their time and think about it. It's a commitment that involves campaigning and a lot of work."
Kaul, 62, retired from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway after 27 years of service as a carman. He said he had thought about running for office before, but didn't feel he had the time to do the job right.
"My feeling is, if you can't do the job 100 percent, don't do it," he said.
