Split vote cuts county posts

After public hearings in both Libby and Eureka, Lincoln County Commissioners on Monday cut a justice of the peace and the county school superintendent’s positions.

Both decisions were split 2-1 votes, with Commissioners Tony Berget and Ron Downey voting for the cuts and Commissioner Mike Cole casting the dissenting vote.

The cuts were made in an effort to reduce county deficit spending.

“(Monday) was probably one of the hardest days as a commissioner,” Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said. “I probably lost a lot of votes. People are probably disheartened with Ron Downey and myself, but the fact is we have to cut one-fifth. We have to make little cuts here and there because we’re deficit spending.”

Currently, there are two justices of the peace. Jay Sheffield serves in Libby and Stormy Langston serves in Eureka. Both positions run through Dec. 31 with the elimination of one post taking effect on Jan. 1, 2015. Both candidates have the opportunity to run for the one justice of the peace position.

Ron Higgins is the County Superintendent of Schools whose term also expires on Dec. 31.

Higgins did not plan to seek re-election as superintendent when his term expires at the end of this year.

“I had planned to retire at the end of the year,” Higgins said. “This position has to fall under an elected official. There is a lot to this job. It has to be someone with an administrative degree. It’s just not the schools. You have to evaluate teachers and manage the finances. This has to be someone with a valid education degree.”

Of the seven school districts in Lincoln County, Higgins is the superintendent for four of them — Trego, McCormick, Fortine and Yaak.

“I know they want to contract with someone, such as they’re doing in Ravalli County, but Ravalli has five districts, each with a principal and a superintendent. In this job, you have to do all of this and deal with OPI, too. I’m worried because I think they’re going to try to do this on a dime. If that happens we may lose out on some (funding) and then what happens to these schools?”

Berget said the county’s current plan is to bring the superintendents duties into the Treasurer’s Office, which is run by Nancy Trotter Higgins, Higgins’ wife.

“That makes sense for the finances, but what about the rest of it. If they contract it out, they need to find the right person and not just some retired teacher. The problem is the commissioners make these cuts, and then they worry about implementing their decisions later.”

Downey said commissioners were faced with no-win situations.

“It was probably the toughest decision I’ve ever made,” Downey said. “It’s one I will never feel good about. I feel like a let Mike (Eureka Commissioner Cole) down.”

Sheffield, one of the two justices of the peace who could be eliminated, said he has already picked up an application to reapply for the elected position. Langston said she plans to run against Sheffield for the lone justice post.

“I think it’s a ridiculous decision for the people up here,” Langston said. “I think it puts an unfair burden on people in Eureka.”

Commissioner Cole said he said a decision was made too hastily.

“People in Eureka made it clear they opposed this,” Cole said. “I think with that kind of feedback we needed to take another look at this and see whether there are other areas to cut before this.”

Commissioners estimate the cost savings in the reduction of both positions will be $125,000.