Three vie for Hill County Commision seat

James Bedwell is making his first run for public office.

Bedwell, an equipment operator with the Hill County Road Department for the past 22 years and a Havre resident, is the Democratic candidate for Hill County Commission.

He faces both Hill County Superintendent of Schools Diane McLean, a Republican, and independent Ted Solomon in November’s general election. The three are seeking to fill the seat now held by Commissioner Jeff LaVoi, who is not seeking re-election.

Bedwell conducted a write-in campaign less than two weeks before the June 7 primary. He received 142 votes, one more than the minimum needed to appear on November’s ballot as his party’s nominee.

The tough financial situation facing the county and the condition of its roads prompted him to enter the race, Bedwell said.

“I want to get in there and try and find ways to save money,” he said.

He said the budget should be looked through line by line to find ways to save money and carry out its functions in a cheaper way. The county could also find money by doing more grant writing.

Bedwell said he does not blame Havre for trying to annex properties outside its limits. He said Havre is in a similar situation, and City Council is just trying to deal with the reality of a leaner budget.

Long hours, hard work and a steep learning curve will be required for the job, Bedwell said, adding that he is up for the challenge.

“When I get involved with something it’s 110 percent,” he said.

Bedwell said his time with the road department has provided him with insight into how the county works.

He said that another area that needs attention is the condition of county roads. Three years of heavy rainfall have taken a toll on them, Bedwell said.

He said he wants to help replenish the county’s gravel supply.

Better communication between Havre and Hill County is also imperative to help bridge the gap between city and county, Bedwell said.

“If you put two entities together you can get so much more accomplished than just one entity,” he said.

Given its juxtaposition with the border with Canada, the county has tremendous opportunities, Bedwell said. More needs to be done to draw Canadians and the business they bring to the area, he added,

There should be a greater effort to showcase local attractions like Beaver Creek Park, Montana’s largest county park, and Havre’s historic downtown, Bedwell said.

“We have all these excellent outdoor recreation spots,” he said. “I think we should be promoting them and trying to draw Canadians back.”

Maintaining a strong relationship with the counties other communities outside of Havre is important for the county, he said.  

Bedwell said he has been to several meetings of the Chippewa Cree Business Committee on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and that if elected, he will continue to attend them.

He said that the county’s other communities such as Rudyard, Gilfdord, Hingham and Inverness also need to feel included in the county.

“Hill County can’t operate without all those little communities, Bedwell said. “We need to do whatever we can to get them involved.”