Candidates vie for House District 12
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POLSON — Republican Greg Hertz, House District 12 incumbent, is running for re-election against Susan Evans-D. Both candidates reside in Polson.
Hertz and has lived in the area for more than 50 years. He is the president and owner of Moody’s Market Inc., which operates grocery stores throughout western Montana. Hertz has the support of his wife Kate of 38 years, three children, and three grandchildren. He brings 35 years of business experience to the position and has worked within the Montana House of Representatives since 2013.
Hertz believes that the most important local issue is the 2015 tax-exempt land, which will result in the reduction of an estimated $2.3 million in tax dollars to Lake County. This does not include taxes from the sale of the former Kerr Dam to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, which will add another loss of an estimated $1.9 million in tax dollars.
“We need to work with CSKT to ensure we’re able to appropriately fund local government for years to come without placing an undue burden on local tax payers,” Hertz said.
Another important local issue for Hertz relates to Public Law 280, an agreement between the Montana state and Federal government and CSKT that requires the county to prosecute felonies committed by Tribal members.
“This federal policy is putting a strain on county services and taxpayers. If Lake County … is going to provide services at current levels, the federal government and/or CSKT must provide some type of payment in lieu of taxes or the local taxing jurisdiction will be forced to cut services or raise taxes,” Hertz said.
An important state issue to Hertz is the creation of high-wage jobs, since many created today are low-wage jobs related to retail or service industries. He believes federal overreach has shut down good paying jobs in the natural resource industry. He says that manufacturing and computer technologies are another source of good paying jobs.
“Both of these industries (manufacturing and computer technologies) require significant capital investments and are subject to Montana’s business capital equipment tax,” Hertz said.
Hertz believes that the local community can be “prosperous, giving our children and grandchildren who grow up in the area the opportunity to stay close to home as they enter the workforce.”
Hertz encourages residents that work with state agencies to contact him with ideas on how to better make a difference in reforming government.
“Many of the best ideas for improving state government come from citizens who deal with state agencies on a regular basis. Communicating those ideas with your elected officials can truly make a difference in reforming state government,” Hertz said.
Hertz said he is always always available by phone at 406-253-9505 or email at greghertz11@gmail.com
Information from Evans was not provided by press time.
