The race for Mayor: Tim Solomon

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.

As he asks Havre voters to elect him to a second term as mayor, Tim Solomon is pointing to his record of improving city services, especially the police department.

If re-elected, he said, he would like to continue to “move forward,” especially on improving the city’s infrastructure.

Tim Solomon is running for his second term against former mayor Bob Rice. Most city voters should be getting ballots in the mail today.

Solomon, 58, went to the St. Jude Thaddeus School in Havre up to the eigth grade and then attended Havre High School. After receiving his high school diploma, Solomon attended the Law Enforcement Academy in Bozeman, which is now in Helena.

Solomon worked at the Hill County Sheriff’s Department for 28 years. He served as sheriff/coroner from 1986 to 2001.

Solomon said he has worked with many organizations in the last few years. He volunteers at the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line and used to be on the HELP committee board. He is on the board of Bear Paw Development Corp. and the Great Northern Fair Foundation, which is a nonprofit group that raises money for the fairgrounds.

He used to be the president of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and was on the board for the Boys & Girls Club.

Other than his job at the sheriff’s office, Solomon was also the airport manager for a year and is the Havre Great Northern Fairgrounds manager.

Solomon has a wife a step-daughter attending college in Billings, and three sons. Two of his sons are married and have kids of their own. All three sons live in Havre.

In his last four years as mayor, some of the things he has accomplished that he is proud of are:

• Avoiding going to court for the lawsuit against annexation by settling with opponents out of court

• Moving forward with annexation

• Doing away with the mayoral vehicles

• Eliminating a professional negotiator to deal with union contracts.

“One of the big things is the police department,” Solomon said. “Bringing in a new chief helped us build a relationship with the schools and create ‘National Night Out.’”

He added that he changed the way public comments were given at the city council meetings. Before, public comment was reserved until the end of the meeting, but Solomon changed this so people could speak to each agenda item before the council moves to the next.

“It was to get better public input,” Solomon said.

Solomon said when he is campaigning, people ask him all kinds of questions, but “the streets are always a big thing.”

“We have (had) a capital improvement plan in place in the last year,” Solomon said. “We have a plan to move forward.”

Solomon said that if he is re-elected for a second term, he hopes to continue moving forward now that the improvement plan is in place.

Solomon also said he believes he has helped the relationship between Havre, Hill County and other governments and “we can continue to work together.”