GREAT FALLS — In the video above, Tim McGonigal reports on the two candidates vying for a seat on the Cascade County Commission - Eric Hinebauch and Don Ryan. Watch extended interviews with both candidates below.
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Eric Hinebauch served on the Great Falls City Commission and is currently the chair of the Cascade County Republican party. The Chinook native attended college in Great Falls and later opened a Farmers Union Insurance office in the Electric City. It’s experience he feels lends itself well to county government.
“I really believe it's important to have a small business owner involved in local government,” said Hinebauch. “And I'm also under 40. I think that age demographic should be represented in leadership in our community.”
Democrat Don Ryan grew up in Great Falls, graduated from C.M. Russell High School then the University of Montana. He later became a teacher and basketball coach before helping his wife run a Great Falls daycare. His public service resume includes time on the Great Falls School Board, 8 years as a Montana State Senator, and filling out a term on the Cascade County Commission. After losing in 2022, he says county employees and department heads urged him to run again.
“We need somebody that we can work with, make our jobs easier rather than harder,” said Ryan. “So that's why I'm back into it again, because I want to find somebody that people can trust.”
With a missile modernization project on the horizon at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Ryan wants to make sure law enforcement is ready.
“We have to make plans ahead of time of how we're going to deal with this,” said Ryan. “We have to make sure that we have a proper jail. We have to clean our jail out. A little bit of people who don't need to be there just because we're disappointed in them.”
Hinebauch says public safety is a top priority, and the upcoming Sentinel project is a reminder that housing issues needs to be addressed.
“It means planning accordingly, making sure we're meeting the needs of the community and also making sure we're communicating with our partners, whether it's the Great Falls Development Alliance, Malmstrom leadership. Or some of the industry in town, Calumet and some of the industry partners that are looking to Great Falls,” said Hinebauch.
Hinebauch says it's not just an issue of enough housing, but affordable housing.
Ryan says he doesn’t want to see people priced out of their homes because of rising property taxes.
And on the issue of trust, Ryan points to his previous time on the commission.
“I was a full time commissioner. I'm in the office every day. My door is open for people want to come in and talk,” said Ryan. “And that really worked well. My coffee with Commissioner was very successful. You know, one day a week, I'm there early in the morning. Anybody comes in. You set the agenda.”
Hinebauch says its as easy as keeping citizens in the know.
“It's just clear communication and transparency and giving the citizens the tools to participate in local government,” said Hinebauch. “Let let them know. So there's no surprises. So, they know what's coming up. They know how to get involved. They know how to give their input and really voice their opinion on what they think their government should be doing for them.”
Ballots for the November 5 election will be mailed out October 11.
Current commissioner Rae Grulkowski is waging a write-in campaign after being defeated by Hinebauch in the June primary election.
ERIC HINEBAUCH
DON RYAN
