Hillman seeks re-election as Powell mayor

Posted 5/5/16

Mayor Hillman announced Wednesday that he’s running for a second term.

“I have enjoyed being mayor for the last four years,” he said.

Looking back on his first term, Hillman said he’s proud of the transfer station the city built to …

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Hillman seeks re-election as Powell mayor

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When Don Hillman first ran to be Powell’s mayor in 2012, he hoped to serve for eight years.

That’s still his plan.

Mayor Hillman announced Wednesday that he’s running for a second term.

“I have enjoyed being mayor for the last four years,” he said.

Looking back on his first term, Hillman said he’s proud of the transfer station the city built to handle local garbage after the Powell landfill closed to municipal solid waste.

“That was a big issue for us, and it worked out well,” Hillman said.

He’s also proud of how the city budget turned around over the last four years. In his first year as mayor, the city had $1 million in its reserve accounts and that figure was falling; the city now has about $3.1 million in reserves.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” Hillman said. “It took some hard work by city staff, but we’re on the right track there.”

The city has put various cost-saving measures into effect with its budget, he said.

A challenge facing the city is “maintaining and operating the systems that we have with the money we have,” Hillman said.

The city has been forced to be reactive rather than proactive, he said.

“We just don’t have the means to take on new projects ... we just maintain what we have,” he said.

Hillman referenced work on Absaroka Street, Division Street and the Avenues as examples of projects that the city can’t tackle with its current funding levels.

“But we’ve done well,” he said. “I think we’ve kept the city up.”

He said maintaining quality infrastructure in the city of Powell is his top priority. He said other efforts, like economic development, hinge on the city having quality water and electric distribution systems as well as sewers and streets.

“That’s our main responsibility. Everything else comes after that ... without infrastructure, nothing works,” he said.

Mayor Hillman said he’s “not a politician — I’m more of an infrastructure guy.”

He said his biggest concern for seeking re-election was his health. Hillman, 73, was diagnosed with cancer in 2014.

“I have liver cancer, and I’ve talked to my doctors and talked to my family, and basically, cancer is what it is,” he said. “Just because you have cancer, you can’t quit living.”

He’s continuing cancer treatment, which is being treated as a long-term illness.

“My doctors tell me they’ll treat it just like they do diabetes,” he said. “We’ll just keep up with the treatments, and if we can keep it from growing — it’s still active, it’s not going to go away. It’s always going to be there, unless some different cure comes up.”

Serving as Powell’s mayor gives him a reason to carry on, he said.

Hillman said he cares about Powell and wants it to continue to be a “forward-looking community.” He grew up here, attended Powell schools and went to Northwest College.

Hillman previously served as a Powell city councilman from 1986-93 and was elected to the council again in 2008.

He ran unopposed for mayor in 2012. Hillman said he welcomes competition and more residents running for the Powell City Council.

“People need to be more interested,” said.

Hillman’s career with Montana Dakota Utilities spanned 41 years before he retired in 2004. Hillman and his wife, Judie, have two children, Raquel (Hillman) Schwab and Jason Hillman, and three grandchildren.

The official candidate filing period opens May 12 and runs through May 27.

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