The race for Mayor: Bob Rice

Republican Bob Rice and Democratic incumbent Tim Solomon are running for Havre mayor. Ballots were mailed out Tuesday.

This may be the last partisan election in Havre history. People will also vote on a proposition to follow most other Montana cities conduct nonpartisan elections.

The mayoral position, officially listed as part-time, pays $22,000 a year. It is a four-year term.

People can still register to vote. If people have not received a ballot by later this week, they can call the Hill County Clerk and Recorder's office at 265-5481, ext. 221.

People can register up until noon, Monday, Nov. 4, or on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hill County Courthouse.

Former Mayor Bob Rice wants to see more recreational opportunities in Havre, supports improving east side neighborhoods and wants to help the elderly.

A Republican, Rice is running against incumbent Tim Solomon, the Democrat who defeated him four years ago.

Ballots were mailed out Tuesday.

Rice, 67, attended high school at Havre Central High School and Havre High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia College.

Before Rice was mayor of Havre, he was in the U.S. Navy for 30 years, was the director of United Way and commander at the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Havre.

Other organizations Rice has been affiliated with are St. Jude Thaddeus Church, the Navy relief society, girls softball teams in Havre and the Boy Scouts of America. He coached the Navy basketball team.

“I’ve done a lot of volunteer work,” Rice said.

Rice said he and his crews painted St. Jude Thaddeus School.

Rice has won the North Star award, which is awarded by Boy Scouts of America councils to nonregistered volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the Boy Scouts.

Past jobs Rice has had outside of the Navy were at the Culligan Water Plant and Schine Electric, which was Tempo Electric at the time.

Rice has three children and two grandkids. His oldest son, Rob, is getting married this week, his son Bill works for the athletics department at Montana State University in Bozeman and his daughter is a dispatcher at the Havre Police Department.

Rice said one of the things he accomplished during his eight years as mayor that he is proud of is changing the attitudes about Republicans in Havre. He added he was the first Republican mayor in 30 years.

“It’s not as slanted as it used to be,” Rice said. “I accomplished a lot of things in my eight years.”

Rice said when he is campaigning, some of the more popular things people ask him about is what he is going to do about infrastructure, building a splash park and pursuing a bike path through Havre.

He said he would pursue building a splash park and that he has always had a plan to extend the Bill Baltrusch Trail, a project he said he started when he was mayor.

“I want to get the infrastructure straightened out,” Rice said. “I think people on the east end can do better.”

Rice said he wants to address the streets in the east end of Havre, help the elderly and help people fix their houses.

“I think those people deserve better,” Rice said.

Rice said if he is elected for mayor, he would like to see the city council touched up.

“I would like to change the attitude of some of the council members,” Rice said. “I would like to see us work together. Even if I’m not elected, I would like to see the two parties come together.”