Bigfork Water and Sewer District’s longtime manager Julie Spencer is retiring at the end of June. Her successor will be Assistant District Manager Tyler Hantz.  

Spencer has been with Bigfork Water and Sewer for 26 years. Hantz said those will be big shoes to fill, but she has left him with a lot of knowledge and history of the district.  

The district is encouraging public participation during their leadership transition, including comments on a recent rate study completed by a third-party company.  

“We did a five-year rate study to have a fresh start for the transition, to see where rates need to be and debt service for debt payments for projects we've done. We're working on that and adjusting our rules and regulations ... Protecting rate payers from having to subsidize development is one of our main goals,” Hantz said.  

He said they’ll also continue to focus on ongoing projects, like work on the west trunk sewer, which will upsize the 8-inch sewer main that runs on the west side of Bigfork along Eagle Bend.  

Hantz started as an operator at the district seven years ago, following his time with the Army's 101st Airborne Division. After spending three years in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he made the move to Bigfork.  

Hantz earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from American Military University and is certified in real estate and real-estate management, in addition to his certifications earned while working for the district. 

In anticipation of her retirement, Spencer said she is excited to spend more time with her husband, who inherited a farm in Canada a few years ago, and her mother, who lives with them during the summertime.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected].