Seeking a third term, Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino, 47, faces Republican challenger, Evie Cahalen, 65, in the June 2 primary election.  

With no other candidates filed for the spot, the Republican primary will likely decide the next sheriff of Flathead County. 

Heino first ran for sheriff in 2018 with the encouragement of his colleagues, and his last seven years in office are a testament to his success, he said. Heino successfully lobbied for a new jail facility, organized a K-9 unit, hired school resource officers and secured new technology for his office.  

A Flathead Valley native, Heino graduated from Flathead High School in 1996 and went on to pursue a career in firefighting at Smith Valley Fire Department and with the U.S. Forest Service.   

A few years later, he followed his future wife to Sheridan, Wyoming, where he received an associate degree in police science from Sheridan College. He worked for the city’s police department until the couple returned to Kalispell in 2003, where he joined the Sheriff’s Office as a deputy.   

Heino has since served in leadership positions, including SWAT team lead sniper and patrol commander. He has overseen the Sheriff’s Posse and served as coordinator with Flathead County Search and Rescue. 

THE FLATHEAD County Republican Central Committee’s endorsement of his opponent last month came as an unpleasant surprise for Heino. The Republican Party had stayed out of his previous two races for sheriff.  

“I was a little shocked,” Heino said. 

He said his responsibility as sheriff is to serve the entire community, not the interests of one particular party. He works with people across the political spectrum if it benefits the safety and well-being of the county.  

“When I’m passionate about change, I talk to a variety of individuals to get that across the table,” he said.  

At the end of the day, voters will decide who they want as county sheriff, Heino added. He hopes his resume of community involvement and service in law enforcement will prove himself as a worthy candidate, with or without the Republican Party’s support. 

IN HIS tenure, Heino has long negotiated with county commissioners for staff and pay increases. He says it’s important to keep deputy wages competitive with other Montana counties. Deputy sheriffs’ wages in Flathead County fall slightly below the state average, at about $32 an hour. 

“The difficult part is the money,” Heino said. “We’ve been balancing the revenue we have from taxes in order to do that.” 

There are also statutory limitations to a pay raise as under state law deputies must be paid less than what the sheriff earns. Only county commissioners can approve a salary increase for the sheriff. 

If elected for a third term, Heino says he will continue advocating for higher wages to keep Flathead County competitive with other sheriff’s offices in the state. He will also push to increase staffing to keep up with population growth.  

The Sheriff’s Office employs 72 personnel right now, which is enough to operate, but not enough to provide relief when someone calls out sick or goes on vacation. Heino said 76 deputies would be an ideal staffing number for his office, which he thinks is achievable by hiring one to two deputies a year.  

“When you see a large population growth, and you have more needs for services, you have to increase those numbers,” Heino said. 

THANKS TO a $105 million bond passed by voters last November, Flathead County is working on a new detention facility. Construction is expected to get underway soon, with a groundbreaking planned for early June, after the county sold $95 million in bonds in April.  

For almost two decades, the county’s existing detention center has weathered overcrowding, unsafe working conditions and limited space for inmates with mental health needs. 

When it comes to investing in the current jail, Heino says “we’re already doing that.” 

Maintenance work on the current facility is a full-time job, he said. The jail was repainted about five years ago, a new electronic system was recently installed and backup power systems have been updated.  

“Every year, we’re evaluating and fixing things as we go,” Heino said. “It just gets harder.” 

Maintenance of the jail is a combined effort of the Flathead County Building Maintenance Department, Sheriff’s Office and county commissioners, Heino said.  

Long-term projects, such as repaving the parking lot, are planned for in the county’s budget, but it’s difficult to predict every emergency, which is why there’s a separate allocation for immediate repair work, he said.  

“Even with a new facility, you have to keep up on maintenance,” Heino said. “And so, I guess to answer that question, we already do that.” 

Heino said he actively works with commissioners and maintenance staff to keep the current jail as safe as possible, and he plans to continue that work if elected for a third term. 

FLATHEAD COUNTY was one of the first two Montana counties, the other being Gallatin County, to sign a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement in 2020.   

The signed Warrant Service Officer agreement — the most restrictive out of three 287(g) models — allows local law enforcement trained by ICE to serve and execute warrants within the jail for immigration violations. It also allows the Sheriff’s Office to hold a detainee in the county jail for an additional 48 hours if they’re found to be in violation of immigration law.  

Heino said Flathead County “came out of” its agreement with ICE due to limited jail capacity. Terms of the contract were updated during the Biden administration, he said, requiring positive pressurized jail cells, among other requirements, for the county to get paid $82 per held detainee under the agreement.  

ICE’s public list of participating agencies in 287(g) agreements still shows Flathead County as an existing participant. A spokesperson with ICE confirmed in an email that the current list is accurate.

With construction of a new public safety detention underway, Heino said he would consider entering another contract with a federal agency, including ICE, if reelected. 

Report for America reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at (406) 758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.