Mark Peterson in primary for Hill County Commission

On the tail end of his first-term, Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson will be on the ballot for re-election in the upcoming Democratic primary.

Peterson faces off against Dana Kjersem June 5.

The winner of the primary will go up against Dale Hansonl, an independent, in the November general election. No Republican filed to run for the seat.

Peterson said a commissioner's first term is often spent getting to know how the county works and he is running for another term because there are things he wants to see get done.

Peterson did not by printing deadline this morning return calls and texts sent Thursday asking if specific issues the commission is discussing or voting on should be listed specifically on the agenda.

The County Commission has voted on some issues in recent weeks without listing the specific issue on their agenda. Peterson has said the commission is not trying to hide anything and people are welcome to attend the commission's business meeting each month.

Peterson said issues he wants to work to make happen in his second term include getting Highway 232 North fixed, finding a source of gravel for country roads and working to build a new grand stand on the Great Northern Fairgrounds.

Voters approving mill levies is what will be needed to bring in revenue needed to deal with increasing costs that face the county.

He said state law does not allow counties to raise taxes with approval from the voters so if voters want to maintain or increase the level of service they receive county voters will eventual have to vote for mill levies.

Peterson said that he does not believe that the county should move to make non-essential services, such as Beaver Creek Park, the fairgrounds and the H. Earl Clack Museum, completely self-sustaining without using tax dollars to fund them.

If a budget were to need to be cut, the county is required by law to fund some services such as the sheriff's office and the road department, but services such as parks, museums and fairs are not required to be funded.

Peterson said if the public thinks an item is essential the county government needs to listen, but at the same time people have to understand that item will cost more money.

Peterson said he wants to leverage sources such as money from grants to meet the needs of the fairgrounds. He said that if a mill levy is on the ballot he would support but wants to leverage money from other sources too.

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Mark Peterson

Date and place of birth: Nov. 28, 1951, Havre

Education: Havre High School, 1970; Some college, Northern Montana College

Political history: Hill County Commissioner, 2012-present