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Park County Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin, whose job took on a new level of public appreciation and scrutiny amid the Covid pandemic, was reappointed to the position by county commissioners …
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Park County Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin, whose job took on a new level of public appreciation and scrutiny amid the Covid pandemic, was reappointed to the position by county commissioners last week.
Billin received a new four-year term on a 3-1 vote, with Commissioner Lloyd Thiel casting the lone no vote.
“The way he handled the pandemic, I was not happy with,” Thiel said. “If we ever get in that situation again he’s going to be a puppet again. I understand we didn’t have another person for the position, so he probably would have been appointed by the state anyway, but I needed to give my opinion.”
Billin was the only physician to apply for the position, unlike many other boards, for which more than enough people applied. Besides Billin, Thiel said commissioners generally agreed on the other selections.
Days before the Dec. 6 vote, Billin said he was ready to work another term as the county health officer, “if the commissioners will have me.”
Commissioner Scott Mangold explained his yes vote simply.
“Dr. Billin was the only applicant,” he said. “If we don’t name one, I believe the state will appoint one.”
Billin was first appointed county health officer in 2015, but his role was magnified drastically after the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020. He advised the county commissioners on the public health ramifications of the pandemic, drawing both praise and condemnation from the public as restrictions and mask policies were enacted and removed over the next months.
Billin began posting often on his personal Facebook page to get the message out about Covid and then created a Park County Public Health Officer Facebook page, which he still regularly posts on.
County board appointments:
Yellowstone Regional Airport: Zach Bowman and Robert Redmond (incumbent); longtime board member Bucky Hall declined to seek another term
Buffalo Bill Dam and Visitors Center: William McCormick and Klodette Stroh (incumbents)
Park County Fair Advisory Board: JP Jones and Christy Muecke (incumbent); chair Tiffany Brando declined to seek another term
Park County Historical Preservation: Gary Warner and Laura Scheiber
Park County Parks and Recreation: Colby Stenerson, Dan Haman and Bucky Hall (incumbents)
Park County Planning and Zoning: Guy Eastman and Brian Peters
Park County Weed and Pest District: Josh Christofferson, Perry Fisher and Sam May (incumbents)
Park County Health Officer: Dr. Aaron Billin (incumbent)
