Council member Mayer will face opponent in general election

Christy Keto has filed to run as an independent in Ward 4 in the Havre City Council general elections on Nov. 4.

Keto joins a field of nine candidates running for five seats in the election. She will run against Democrat incumbent Emily Mayor in Ward 4.

She filed to run shortly before the September filing deadline, Hill County deputy election administrator Betty Williams said today.

Keto, 31, is a marketing supervisor for Triangle Telephone and the Hill County Electric Cooperative. She also serves as vice president of the United Way of Hill County board, coaches soccer for the Havre Youth Soccer Association, and is a member of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Committee and the Montana Telecommunications Access Committee, which runs a program that provides phone service for the deaf.

A Havre native, Keto said her love of the community is the main reason she decided to run.

"The biggest one is because I do love Havre and I want to do my part in making it the best possible place to live we can," she said.

She also said she wants to learn more about how the city operates, and that she supports Havre Mayor Bob Rice's efforts to make the town cleaner, to welcome Canadians and to build a skateboard park.

"Everything just seems to be improving," she said.

Keto, a single mother of two boys, said she wants to make sure ids have enough to do in Havre.

"I want to make sure we have lots of productive things for kids to do here," she said.

Keto said she has not been involved in politics before, and that she agrees with aspects of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

"I'm not a political person at all and don't really believe in the whole party thing," she said. "I agree with things from both parties, so I decided to just go independent."

Mayer said today Keto's entry into the race will provide a good opportunity to talk about what is best for Havre.

"I welcome the challenge to discuss some of the issues that are serious to the discussion of making Havre a better place to live and work," Mayer said.

Other candidates running in the City Council elections are Democrat Pam Hillery and Republican Russ Luke in Ward 1, Republican Jerry Hanson and incumbent Democrat Rick Pierson for a four-year seat in Ward 2, Democrat Gary LaValley and Republican Terry Schend for a two-year seat in Ward 2, and incumbent Democrat Jack Brandon and Republican Debi Rhines in Ward 3.

Other area elections on Nov. 4 include elections in the town of Hingham and an election to authorize the Hill County Commission to implement fees required to finance the Hill County Mosquito Control District.

The district was formed by the Hill County Commission this summer after one-quarter of registered voters in the proposed district signed a petition calling for the district, but it was not funded at that time.

In Hingham, three candidates are running for two four-year alderman positions: Wayland Walls and incumbents Larry Horinek and Robert Spicher. The registration deadline for the Nov. 4 election is Monday at 5 p.m. Voters who have not registered can get a voter registration card at the Clerk and Recorder's Office, or can request a card by phone at 265-5481, ext. 221. To register, voters must have their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.