Southerland resigns as city commissioner

Last week during the Polson City Commissioner’s meeting, one commissioner announced her resignation while another shared he will be resigning in August.

Ward 2 City Commissioner Jill Southerland resigned July 17 to be closer to family.

She and her husband, Mike, moved to Reno, Nev.

Between the both of them, they have six children, 16 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, “with three sets of twins” in the mix she said, laughing.

Although most of the kids are in the California area, she said, “we made the tough decision to move closer to them” before more kids are off to college.

Southerland, 74, came to Polson 11 years ago after she worked full time in South Lake Tahoe, California. “We were having people come up to the house (in California) asking if we would sell it,” she said. “We hadn’t thought about selling it because we thought we’d retire there.”

She told her husband that he needed to find her another lake with an airport so she could visit if they were to move.

That’s when he found Flathead Lake, she said, laughing.

Southerland was never in Polson before, but had visited Big Sky. “I knew he would love it here. We bought property and built our home,” she said.

While making Polson their hometown for just more than a decade, Southerland said the friendships the couple has made has made the decision to move difficult.

“We have had the best of friends here and that makes it tough to leave.”

Southerland’s term expires at the end of the year. She said that the first time she ran for the commission, in 2013, she was elected.

Since then, she said she feels as though she has been part of “a really good team of commissioners” with a “terrific mayor.”

One of the accomplishments she is proud of is building communication between local leaders and citizens as well as approving the new wastewater treatment plant.

Another milestone Southerland said she’s proud of is the officials devoting an entire day to strategizing with department officials within the city, talking about the direction everyone wants to see Polson move.

Southerland also served as the commission liaison on the newly formed economic development commission, which was established two years ago. The purpose of the commission she said, is to bring in new business for Polson.

Her first experience running for office was when she ran for a town council position in California about 28 years ago. “It was the first time they put together a commission for our area and I got elected,” she said.

With a background in education, Southerland was a college professor teaching parent education. She worked work “a lot of adults and parents” while her 22 years at Glendale Community College in California.

“I’ve always been busy. I like to keep busy and active,” she said. “I like to give of myself and try to volunteer time to make a difference.”

While at the meeting, officials wondered how to fill Southerland’s position.

Under new state law, since there is no contested election, there is no need for a primary.

So far only one person has dropped off an application, Robert “Bob” Martin of Polson, who will begin the role of ward 2 commissioner Aug. 2.

Also at the same city commissioner meeting, Ward 1 Commissioner Todd Coutts announced in August, he will be resigning to move to Missoula, where he owns Montana Sales & Loan Co.

“I don’t want to… It’s hard to be in two places at once,” he told the commissioners.

His position expires Dec. 31, 2019.