Thirty-eight-year-old Shay Farmer is running for St. Ignatius Town Council and hoping to bring a new creative viewpoint.  

Farmer has been living in St. Ignatius for the last 10 years and considers it her home after being a military kid who moved around often. Farmer explained that St. Ignatius is where her son was born and it’s the longest she’s ever lived in one place.  

Farmer is currently working on a community grant project for Salish Kootenai College’s Center of Prevention and Wellness. But she has had various positions around the community, including the Economic Development Center in Ronan, finance director positions and local agriculture non-profits.  

She explained that this experience has allowed her to work with all types of people and with the community as a whole. With no family around, Farmer said she cares a lot about people but has no prior biases.  

Farmer said she is running for councilwomen because she believes in being involved in the community and making the town better. While civic engagement has overall declined, Farmer said, “We don’t have anyone to blame but ourselves. 

She would like to see more people involved. She also plans to add some fresh paint to the old city hall sign outside St. Ignatius Town Hall.  

“We all have a part to play; and whatever time or expertise we're able to give to make our community better, I think, is an obligation of all of ours,” Farmer said. “But a lot of people just look to other people to make it better.”  

As a taxpayer with budget management and grant management experience, Farmer plans to look at the town budget and make sure the town is doing the best with what they have. She also hopes to bring a creative viewpoint to the town's revenue by collaborating with other entities and organizations.  

“We're just one little town. We probably don't have tons of money. So how can we leverage different relationships to kind of bring more money and make our town better,” she said.  

Farmer, who helped found the Farmers Market in town, wants to help build the local economies. She said everyone should be able to start a business but often cost is a barrier.