Name: Tom Lynch

Age: 54

Occupation: Retired police officer

Party affiliation: Republican

Experience relevant to position sought: Non-commissioned officer in the Army, patrol sergeant with the Great Falls Police Department, Scouting America (Boy Scouts of America) Lewis & Clark district chair, BigSky Pro Rodeo committee chair

Campaign website/social media accounts: Website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Q: Why are you running for county commission?

A: As a lifelong resident of Cascade County and Great Falls, I am invested in our communities. I have always been committed to giving back to the community when I can. I have been a youth and civic organization volunteer for numerous organizations. As an Army veteran of 9 years and a retired police officer with over 26 years of service, I have spent my life in public service. Upon retiring from the Great Falls Police Department in 2025, I decided to continue serving the public by running for County Commissioner. I regularly attend the commission meetings and commission work sessions and am abreast of the current issues that we face. My leadership roles with the military and with the police department will assist in the role as a commissioner. As a longtime resident of Cascade County, I have built numerous relationships within our community with business owners, citizens, public officials and civic organizations. These relationships will contribute to operating in a transparent and accountable manner.

Q: What do you believe is the role of a county commissioner?

A: The commissioner is the chief governing official that is responsible for setting policies, managing the county’s budget, ensuring the proper agencies within the county are providing adequate and required services, and maintaining the infrastructure to allow our county to operate. In addition to the financial and legal responsibilities, a commissioner is a representative of our county and should represent every citizen with their best interests at heart. Additionally, the commissioner should participate in and represent the county with outside agencies and committees.

Q: What do you believe are the top three challenges facing Cascade County? How do you think you could address those as a commissioner?

A: I view the top three challenges as a three-legged stool. Each of the legs have to support each other or the stool will fall over. If one challenge outgrows or falls behind the others, the stool will again collapse. The three legs are good-paying jobs, an adequate workforce, and affordable housing.

The first challenge is economic growth and development. Not all development is necessarily equal and may not be in the best interest of the county. When considering what development we need, we should be asking what that development will provide to our communities and not take away. Development goes beyond just the economical tax base and should not put a strain on our infrastructure and public services. It should contribute to the community with jobs and an economic impact that goes beyond taxes. The second and third challenges, which are a byproduct of economic development, are population growth and affordable housing. As we encourage growth, we need to ensure that our communities can support an adequate workforce to compliment the growth. As our population grows, we need to sustain not just housing, but affordable housing. We have witnessed the impact that a lack of housing can cause when we have had temporary job expansion projects within our community, such as Calumet. With the Air Force Sentinel project looming on the horizon, we need to be making this a top priority.

Q: If elected, what would be your initial priorities and how would you accomplish those goals?

A: The initial priority is ensuring we have financial stability and are operating in the most fiscally reasonable manner as possible. Although we are operating within a balanced budget, we are currently spending money on some services that are not in the most responsible manner. We sometimes need to spend money to save money in the long run, and there are other times we need to spend money to make money. Our long-term budget plans seem to be operating with a cookie-cutter mindset. Each department needs to be reviewing budgets on a need basis not a want basis. We at times are conducting wasteful spending just to secure grant money and services.

Q: If elected, how would you approach the decision-making process on items before the commission?

A: As with any decision that you make, it is important that you have as much information as possible before making an educated decision. I have always been a “boots on the ground” person and do not rely solely on what is on a piece of paper. As a commissioner, I can ensure you that I will see things firsthand in person before making a major decision that impacts the community. I think it is also important to listen to the public and take those concerns into consideration. As an elected official, you will have to make decisions that you may not personally believe in but that are in the best interest of the community and the county operations.

Q: How would you conduct public outreach on controversial matters before the county, or to promote a general understanding of the county’s public process?

A: Citizens should be as informed as possible on any decision that the commissioners make. They should never be asking why something was done but instead be saying because. Having as much information on the front end alleviates any confusion and misinformation on the tail end. Sometimes just doing what is required is not enough. There are times that commissioners should be going out of their way to ensure that as much information is available to the public as possible. This can be done by moving meeting times, or by providing public statements in advance.

Q: How would you approach working with the City of Great Falls staff and the City Commission to address broader community needs and goals?

A: This is a top priority for me. I have already met with the city manager and deputy city manager to address this issue moving forward. The City of Great Falls and Cascade County do not currently have a working relationship in government. We all have the same goals and objectives and need to be working together. A lot of the decisions that are made at the county level eventually affect the city. The most common area that this is evident in is annexation. This process eventually affects the city’s infrastructure, public safety, and services. This can sometimes be viewed as “it’s not our problem anymore.”

Q: What do you believe is the role of the county commission in economic development?

A: As I have previously commented, economic growth is a key priority for the county. It is the responsibility of the commission to ensure that the right development is occurring. As development occurs, the commission needs to ensure that the impacts that it will have on the other services that the county provides are adequate as well. This can be from public safety to waste management services and transfer sites.

Q: What do you believe are the core services a county should provide to residents?

A: As with any government body, the core services should be public safety, infrastructure and required public services; to include waste management and medical services.

Q: How would you approach the budget process to ensure the county is making the best use of taxpayer dollars?

A: Being fiscally responsible is my primary focus. Wasteful spending needs to be identified and discontinued. It is the commission’s responsibility to ensure that each department head is operating their departments in the most effective manner as possible. I have recently sat in on the budget reviews of assorted departments within the county and was impressed on how some department heads took being fiscally responsible very seriously and were attempting to make cuts where they could. Others that appear to be less responsible need to be held accountable and ensure that they are being as fiscally responsible as possible.

Q: What is your opinion of the tax cap on counties set by the Legislature?

A: Any tax limits obviously affect the possibility that services could be affected in the event that budgets are stretched. With that being said, if a county is being fiscally responsible in the first place, then the need to increase taxes is a moot point. The state of Montana sets the valuation of property, which in turn affects the mill rate and the amount of tax that homeowners end up paying. It all comes down to being fiscally responsible in the first place so that tax increases are not a concern. Currently, counties can assess the property tax at the prior year’s assessment plus an average rate of inflation over the previous three years not to exceed 4 percent. Proposals could lower the rate not to exceed 2 percent if passed.

Q: How would you work with the sheriff’s office and other agencies to ensure public safety? Do you think current public safety funding is adequate?

A: Public safety is a huge concern and the cost to manage it continues to climb. The unfortunate side to it is that public safety is not a revenue-generating entity and is something that needs to be funded. The sheriff’s office consumes the majority of the county’s budget. I have sat down with the sheriff and discussed the operation of his department. I have a good longstanding relationship with the sheriff and the sheriff’s office as a whole. As a retired police officer, I understand the struggles and challenges that law enforcement face and the resources that they need to operate. With that being said, there are still cuts that can be made and areas needing improvement. The primary concern is that the deputies are provided adequate funding to allow them to provide the best service to the public.

Q: What do you envision your working relationship with county staff would look like?

A: My ability to work with all people is one of my strongest attributes. Due to my prior law enforcement career, I have already worked with a number of departments within the county. I also routinely attend county meetings and already have a good working relationship with most of the departments within the county. One of the most important things a person can do is listen and be open-minded. I look forward to listening and learning from those that excel in their current positions.

Q: Any additional comments on your plans if elected (but please be concise)?

A: I have heard numerous complaints and concerns over the years, many of which I also have voiced. One area is in the operation of the State Fair and Expo Park grounds. As a prior chairman and committee member of the BigSky Pro Rodeo Roundup, I have witnessed and experienced the difficulties associated with the Expo Park. Cascade County has deep roots with our agriculture and ranching communities. Our livestock barns and other out buildings are in desperate need of attention. The complaints regarding our State Fair have not gone unheard and a major overhaul is needed to get us back to where the fair once was. I know a majority of the vendors that rely on the State Fair for revenue and their ability to continue supporting it are dwindling due to cost and general operations. I would not be opposed to looking at privatizing the management of the Expo Park as it was in the early 2000s. During that time, the Expo Park was very successful. I would also look at reestablishing the Expo Park Advisory Board to help with improvements to the facility.