Self-described 'Libby girl' says she will seek election next year

Thursday morning, following her appointment to the Libby City Council, Dejon Raines sat down with The Western News to discuss her qualifications, her drive and her vision for the future of Libby.

Dejon Raines is a self-described “Libby girl.” A 2001 graduate of Libby High School, she moved away to attend Montana Tech. Upon graduation, she moved back to Libby to become a partner in her father’s real estate business with Irene Loveless Realty.

Since returning to Libby, Raines has been active with a number of community events and organizations, including David Thompson Search and Rescue, NordicFest, STOKR and the Festival of Trees. She is the past vice president of the Lincoln County Board of Realtors and also serves on the board of the Lincoln County Community Health Center.

Raines said she made the decision to seek appointment to the City Council after a long period of thought and consideration. She said Robin Benson planted the thought in her head back in November, but she hasn’t discussed the issue with any council members since that time. “This is something that’s been on my heart,” she said. “Libby needs people to give their time, energy and ideas.”

Raines has also created a website intended to promote Libby as a place to “shop, dine, play and stay.” The site, explorelibbymontana.com, appears in the quick links section of the city’s website.

Raines said her motivation to start the website was to help promote a positive image of Libby and the amenities offered by the community. She said the site generates no revenue, she lists local businesses, lodging, restaurants and shops, along with a link to her real estate brokerage, at no charge. “The site will always be free,” she said. “I will never ask for money to list on the site.”

As to her primary agenda as a member of the City Council, Raines reiterated her statement to the council at Wednesday’s meeting, “It’s all about the budget.” She intends to seek out and apply for as many grants as possible in order to help alleviate stress on the city’s limited resources. Infrastructure projects, she said, create intense pressures for smaller cities, like Libby, because they are both complex and very expensive. That expense makes undertaking such projects difficult for small towns without sources of supplemental funding.

Raines said she is committed to working with everyone to make Libby prosper. Diversity of ideas and efforts, she said, is vital for the long-term prosperity of the city. “We’re all in this together. We need to come together. We’re all going to have different ideas, and that’s a very good thing,” she said.

Raines is aware that her appointment lasts only through the end of this year, but said she is committed for the long haul. When asked if she intends to seek election in November to serve out the remaining two years of the term she replied, “Absolutely.”