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Two vie in public county race

Rozan Kerr is challenging incumbent Carol Bachini-Wood in November's election for Hill County's public administrator.

The public administrator handles the liquidation of assets and estates of Hill County residents who die with no heirs.

Kerr, a Republican, would like to make the records in the public administrator's office more accessible to the public.

"I generally would like the records easier for the public to see to make the job accountable to the people," Kerr said.

She also said the public administrator's position doesn't have much accountability to anyone and she would like to change that.

Kerr has managed numerous internal medicine practices in California and has been involved in business administration for 28 years. She moved back to Havre in 1999 and has been the manager and owner of Marguerite's clothing store since then.

Kerr was the treasurer for Mayor Bob Rice's election campaign in 2000 and has been involved with the local Republican Party for two years.

One-term incumbent Bachini-Wood doesn't share the same view of the public administrator position.

"I already see the office as being run efficiently," Bachini-Wood said. "We give special attention to each case and would continue that into the next term."

Bachini-Wood added that she is respectful of the privacy of the individuals whose cases she works with.

"My goal as Hill County's public administrator is to do my duties in the manner I would expect them to be done for myself and my family," she said.

Bachini-Wood described the position as a job that is everchanging on a case-to-case basis.

When a loved one dies, many people have friends they can turn to for managing the deceased estates, Bachini-Wood said. But if someone doesn't have anyone to turn to for advice, that person can go to the public administrator to ask for advice or have the office manage their loved one's estate.

She said she is often in court hearings giving advice to heirs of deceased individuals because the heirs are having trouble making a decision about the deceased person's estate.

Bachini-Wood is a Havre native and has three children in Havre Schools. She is married to Curt Wood.

Kerr is a Havre native and is the mother of two children.

 

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