Four candidates vie for two St. Ignatius Council seats
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MISSION — There are two at-large seats on the St. Ignatius Town Council up for grabs in the November 5 election.
Only candidate Roger Lemon filed by the deadline to be on the regular ballot. Three candidates filed as write-in candidates.
Lemon, 68, is a manager for Johnson Transportation which provides bus service to schools. He is married and has lived in the Mission area for 38 years. He is a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force. He has been self-employed for most of his life and previously owned corporations in Alaska and Washington.
Lemon said the most important local issue is providing an environment where small businesses thrive.
“Everybody is paying taxes,” Lemon said. “Everyone is under the gun. We’re not getting enough representation from our government. If there were a possible way to get more businesses in St. Ignatius it would keep the people here and possibly get more people in our city. It’s easy to say ‘I’m going to change everything,’ but it’s really difficult to do. It takes time.”
Lemon said he would like to see projects that benefit infrastructure and senior citizens, as funding allows.
“You get more funds available by having more people,” Lemon said. “I’ll do as much as I possibly can to help. Anytime a city isn’t progressing, I believe it is regressing. I would at least like to see that brought to a halt.”
Lemon said improvements in infrastructure are his “golden dream” for St. Ignatius over the next 10 years.
If elected, he said he would need the support of the people.
“That’s the most important function of the people — support,” Lemon said. “I will be open to suggestions. I will make sure they know my phone number. I will answer everyone’s questions, regardless of whether they like it (the answer) or not.”
Daren Incashola, 42, has lived in the area his entire life. He is married and has two children.
He graduated from St. Ignatius High School and holds a basic Corrections and Communications officer certification from the Montana Law Enforcement Agency.
Incashola served in the U.S. Army and worked in the construction industry. He worked for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office as a detention officer and communications officer. He is currently part owner of Mission Towing and NextGen services, which provides training and software support to law enforcement agencies that use Swift Justice RMS.
Incashola ran for city council before, but was not elected. He has little other political experience, but has worked in various capacities with fire departments, emergency management, and child welfare organizations.
Incashola said the most important issue facing St. Ignatius “is to make sure that we continue to improve the city’s infrastructure.”
“That not only includes roads, sewer and water but our parks and relationships with local businesses,” Incashola said. “The most important state issue I believe is making sure that we have a strong job market, but one that does not destroy our environment.”
He believes tourism is a way to help bring more jobs to Mission, and said he will work to pursue grant money for infrastructure and the police department.
“My vision of our community in 10 years is a community that people can work and live in and continue to be proud of,” Incashola said. “I would like to see us have solid fresh and waste water systems, a community that is appealing to the visitors.”
He would like the area to have attractions that create jobs.
Clarence “Mack” McConnell, 70, is retired and currently sits on the St. Ignatius Town Council. He was raised in the Mission Valley and returned home eight years ago after a career in communications.
McConnell and his wife Julie have four children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
McConnell graduated from Ronan High School in 1961 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Montana School of Journalism in 1974.
He worked several years in sawmills before attending and graduating from the university. McConnell worked as a reporter, editor, and managing editor at five newspapers in Montana and Wisconsin. He then became the director of communications at the Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association in Great Falls. He retired after 18 years with the company.
McConnell ran for a seat in the state legislature in 1998. He was elected to the St. Ignatius Town Council in 2009.
McConnell said the most important local political issue is keeping the community safe through the police department.
“I would continue to invite input from the public and hope for participation in such things as a community watch organization,” McConnell said. “As for the state, I would like to see a more rational legislature that is open to compromise.”
In the next 10 years McConnell foresees St. Ignatius as “a community served well by its new water and sewer systems and a competent and stable police department.”
If elected McConnell said he will “need continued input, advice and suggestions.”
“We need the town government to be open and accountable,” he said.
Mike McElderry, 59, is an investigator for Tribal fish and game who has lived in the Mission area his entire life.
He and wife, Linda have four children plus grandchildren.
McElderry has worked in law enforcement since 1979.
He said increasing access to resources is the main issue facing Mission.
“I believe our main issue here, in St. Ignatius, is trying to get money for resources,” McElderry said. “I believe in not being arrogant and power hungry. I think we’re getting into that even in the state — this power hungry thing.”
McElderry said in 10 years he would like to see St. Ignatius as a community that is still “one nation under God.”
“I believe we need to use Him more,” McElderry said. “We need to have that faith and that morality and go with that thinking especially in our local government. I’m a big believer in prayer. I believe many of the problems we have is because we’ve pushed Him out. State should not take over what the church does. We needed that morality to make our decisions.”
