Lincoln County officials are poised to make a big decision about who will be the next commissioner.

The matter is on the commission agenda at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. The meeting will be held in the commission chambers in the Lincoln County Courthouse in Libby. 

District 1 Commissioner Brent Teske and District 3 Commissioner Noel Duram will decide who will replace retiring Jim Hammons. Hammons represents District 2, which includes more than 6,500 citizens living in Troy, Yaak, Bull Lake, Savage Lake, Sylvanite and McCormick.

Hammons’ last day as commissioner is Nov. 6, three days after the general election. Hammons still has two years remaining on his six-year term after being elected in 2022 and beginning to serve as commissioner in 2023. Hammons continued to serve as county administrator through 2022 and for the first three months of 2023. 

Hammons was appointed the county administrator in Sept. 2021. He has also served as a city councilor and mayor of Troy and the city administrator of Libby.

The appointee will complete Hammons’ term, which ends at the end of 2028.

The process to replace Hammons included the Lincoln County Republican Central Committee submitting three candidates, John Boyke, Michael Robert Lee and Tony Wickham, for Hammons’ vacant seat. 

According to state code, the candidates must reside in the district for at least two years immediately preceding the day the vacancy occurs. Also, Hammons can not vote on his replacement.

The Western News asked the trio a few basic questions about themselves and their goals if they become commissioner. Michael Lee's information and photo came from an Oct. 5 post on the Lincoln County Republican Club Facebook page, of which he gave The Western News permission to publish.

Here's a look at the three candidates for the open seat. They are listed alphabetically.

John Boyke

Boyke explained how he came to Montana.

"I grew up in a small, blue-collar town in southern Illinois, where hard work, community and looking out for your neighbors were a way of life. 

"Like Lincoln County, Montana, my hometown faced many of the same challenges that come with maintaining a strong local economy, supporting working families and preserving the character of a close-knit community. Those early experiences gave me a lasting appreciation for the values, concerns and aspirations of small-town America.

"Throughout my life and career, I have had the privilege of visiting, working or living in 47 of the 50 states," he said. "That experience gave me a unique perspective on the people, places and communities that make our country special. 

"Yet, from the moment I first visited Lincoln County, I knew I had found somewhere truly exceptional. I purchased property that very first weekend, confident that this was where I wanted to put down roots and spend the rest of my life.

"Twenty years later, I know that decision was one of the best I have ever made. The natural beauty of Northwest Montana, the rugged landscape, and most importantly, the people who call this place home have made Lincoln County much more than where I live. It is where I belong. I am proud to call Lincoln County home and I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of this remarkable community in what I believe is the best county in the best state in America."

He also spoke about his interest in becoming a county commissioner.

"My commitment to Lincoln County is rooted in effective leadership, responsible financial management, transparent government and practical solutions that serve our community," he said.

"Through my service on the Lincoln County Government Study Commission and Planning Board, I have gained valuable insight into local government, community planning, property rights and the importance of accountable decision-making.

"With more than 30 years of leadership experience in Information Technology at organizations including United Airlines, Tenneco Packaging and Renessen, LLC, I bring a proven ability to manage complex projects, oversee budgets, solve problems and build consensus.

"Lincoln County deserves leadership grounded in experience, integrity and sound judgment. I am prepared to put my professional expertise and local government experience to work for our citizens, make responsible decisions and help ensure our county remains a strong and vibrant community for generations to come."

Michael Robert Lee

Michael Robert Lee is a third-generation Montanan who was born at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls and graduated from the University of Montana. He has lived in Lincoln County for the past three years and has deep family ties to Montana, including a grandfather who worked in the copper mines in Butte for most of his life. His mother, born in Fort Benton, lived in Troy for more than four decades.

Lee brings more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry, along with a background in management and supervision. He has served as a Driver Trainer Supervisor for a major trucking company in North Dakota, a Shift Supervisor at the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska, and a shift manager in the casino industry. He currently serves as a deacon in his church.

Tony Wickham

Wickham has been very active in politics, attending many meetings of local government municipalities. He is also the president of the Lincoln County Republican Club.

Wickham spoke about his birth place and how he came to Montana.

"I was born in Longview, Washington and raised there through my sophomore year in high school. I loved fishing more than most things in my life and spent every possible minute on that sport. That is until I found the sport of swimming, which I pursued successfully in high school and college. I lived and worked in Washington state until my late 20s. I graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering - Thermal and Environmental in 1977.  

"I worked for Weyerhaeuser Company for 5.5 years as an Environmental Engineer, Combustion Engineer, Project Engineer, Process Engineer and Project Manager at their Tacoma Corporate location and within their Sawmill/Wood Products and Pulp and Paper operations. I later worked for Kimberly-Clark Corp. as an operations reliability engineer, Engineering Manager and Operations Director in Huggies and Depends Operations. Later in my career I focused more on developing and implementing High Performance Work Systems in U.S. manufacturing operations, Business Performance and Process Improvement, Leadership Development and High Performance Team Development.

"I first visited Lincoln County in 1992 while hunting and immediately fell in love with Montana, Lincoln County and the people that live here. I have returned here every year since to enjoy every aspect of this beautiful country and the people. I purchased a home here in 2012, and my wife and I moved here full time in 2022. For us, COVID was the push to make it happen, but it had been our dream for years," he said.

Wickham also explained his interest in being a commissioner.

"A solid financial position is built through revenue development (business and expanding employment) and overall cost reductions. Raising taxes is not a sustainable option, leaving the revenue gains and cost reductions as the primary levers.

"I saw firsthand the decline of this county as logging and mining were systematically removed by our government. When I resided here full time, I became immersed in the reasons why the changes occurred and committed myself to solving the problems that will ultimately restore logging, mining and sawmill and wood products operations to this county. In the past couple of years this has evolved into leading the Lincoln County Republican Club and identifying and supporting strong candidates aligned with reestablishing logging and mining in Lincoln County. We are moving solidly in that direction.  

"Once implemented, this will go a long way toward establishing the revenue we require for our current county organization structure that delivers the services we receive. We also need to align our current county organization to deliver services cost-effectively, and the people working in the Lincoln County organization structure today need to have faith in and trust their county leadership. 

"Ultimately trust must be restored. This requires leaders to be accountable to the people and transparency is significantly lacking. Transparency and accountability in leadership positions will build credibility. The more consistent we are in delivering what we say we will, over time we will build trust back. In parallel with this, we will need the help and support of our state and federal government and the people that represent us. 

"Relationships are being built that will drive the additional support we need to achieve the business revenue, and potentially secure additional revenue from the Federal Government. The results of this current election cycle could go a long way to making all of this happen."