A field of 10 candidates for Morton County Commission was narrowed to four in June's primary. Now, the four finalists will square off for two seats on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

Incumbents Jim Boehm and Robert "Bob" Christensen are being challenged by political newcomers Andy Zachmeier and Bernie Stein. All are lifelong residents of Morton and are well-known throughout the county. Boehm and Christensen are campaign veterans, while Zachmeier and Stein are getting their first taste of running for office.

Jim Boehm

Jim Boehm is completing his first term as a Morton County commissioner, but spent 12 years on the House side of the state Legislature and 12 years on the Mandan School Board.

Boehm said he decided to run for the county commission when redistricting drastically changed his legislative constituency.

"I lost my whole district when redistricting basically threw me into Oliver and Mercer counties," Boehm said. "My whole base of support was Morton, so the logical step was to run for county commission."

This October, the Boehms will be celebrating 100 years in Morton County. Jim Boehm, who came from a large family with 11 brothers and sisters, is a successful farmer-rancher who took over the farm in 1969, which has been in the family for four generations. He and his wife, Pat, raised five boys, with three remaining on the farm, and two of those directly participating in the operation.

"I consider myself a conservative, I don't like to waste a working man's money," Boehm said. "We had to work for everything we had, and I like to think I'm frugal in the spending of people's tax dollars."

Boehm said he believes his work with the Legislature was easier than it is as a county commissioner. Legislators are one step removed from the people they serve and more of a policy-setting entity.

"Being a county commissioner is tougher, more personal. People get mad at you, and I've been called a lot worse names as a commissioner than a legislator," Boehm said. "People expect so much more out of a county commissioner. I think there's a general feeling out among people that we have a lot of money to work with, but we don't, and the budget is limited."

Making ends meet, in Boehm's opinion, is the commission's toughest task. Making sure people have the necessary services and yet keep the budget manageable is never easy. Boehm said he believes the commission has done a good job the past four years in keeping the mill levy stable.

Being a good communicator, respecting people's opinions, being able to work with employees and being a good manager of resources are important to being a good county commissioner, and Boehm said he believes he has been able to do these things.

The county's smaller towns are struggling to hold their own as residents move to urban areas for services and jobs. The county needs to help maintain those services critical to the smaller communities such as education, health care and emergency response, he said.

Boehm said he also believes that the county has good employees and that it's up to the commission to find ways to hold on to those people as it faces serious competition from Bismarck and Burleigh County, along with the growing demand for workers in the energy field.

"The legislative session is coming up and counties will have to lobby real heavy to get the things they need," Boehm said.

Robert "Bob" Christensen

Bob Christensen describes himself as fair and open-minded, neither a full-fledged conservative or liberal.

Being a county commissioner is a much tougher proposition than most people realize, according to Christensen.

"It's much more than getting together once a month to cover an agenda," Christensen said. "We all have our portfolios that we have to keep up with and belong to several committees as assigned by the commission. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes, it isn't just one day a month."

Christensen said he loves working with people and public service has afforded him that opportunity, in eight years as a county commissioner and five years on the Mandan City Commission. Christensen has worked the past 13 years in the Bismarck public school transportation department, he has sat on a variety of boards and committees, and when he has spare time, does some volunteer work.

"Most people don't want taxes raised and, if anything, want them decreased. At the same time, they don't want their services cut,"Christensen said. "My philosophy is that we take a hard look at the budget. If there is any fat that can be trimmed we do so. But we need to stay within the means of our budget. People want good roads and the snow plowed, so we make sure the money is there for those things."

One of the county's biggest issues, according to Christensen, is keeping its employees. He said he believes that the county has been fortunate in recruiting good workers, and needs to find ways to retain them. High turnover is expensive, not only do leaving employees take training with them, but new employees must be trained and it usually comes at the expense of another worker in the department.

"I feel I do a pretty good job as a manager. My door is always open," Christensen said. "County commissioners, as managers, set policy and let the department heads implement that policy. Sometimes you need to step in when there is constant turmoil in a department and communications break down. When you're not seeing any resolution of a problem, that's when a manager needs to intervene."

Respecting other people's opinions and issues is important to being a commissioner, and Christensen said he tries to see the issues from the other person's perspective. When it comes to county employees, Christensen said he believes it is important to appreciate their work and give them a deserved pat on the back.

Economic development is important to the county, and it's the commission's role to do what it can to help. Tax incentives is one method open to commissioners, according to Christensen. The county also needs to work closely with the Bismarck-Mandan Development Association, which has helped in several projects around the county.

"Over the years, I've learned being a commissioner is a very important job. It takes a lot of of time, effort and running around. Commissioners play an important role in making sure the county runs efficiently," Christensen said.

Bernie Stein

Bernie Stein is well-known throughout the area as a music maker, with many a light-fantastic tripped to the sounds of his accordion.

But now Stein wants to be known as a Morton County commissioner, and now that he's retired with his family grown, he has the time.

While Stein has traveled five states with his band, he also spent 11 years as assistant city auditor for Mandan. He's worked in real estate and is currently managing the properties he an his wife Janice own.

"Ithink the county needs me. To make sure things don't get out of hand. I know how government operates," Stein said. "Morton is a good county to live in. I know just about everybody here on a first-name basis. I'm not scared to talk about problems, and if you have one, let's get it settled. That's the kind of guy I am. I go directly to the problem and take care of it."

Stein calls himself conservative and believes taxation is on the verge of being out of control. He said people always want more than the county can afford, and it's up to the commission to balance needs and wants with a responsible tax levy.

He said he worries that residential and commercial development will have detrimental impact on agricultural property taxes, sending property values skyrocketing at a time when farmers and ranchers are struggling to make ends meet.

Involvement in planning and zoning is a priority for Stein, and he said he wants to sit down and analyze what's happening and determine how the county can better help manage growth. Stein also said he wants to take a close look at social services, which he said he feels aren't being policed properly.

Stein also said he is interested in the water resource board, knowing that water management is important to the future of the county.

As an experienced bookkeeper, Stein said he believes that he has the tools that will help him understand the budget process and see things others might miss. He's thought about making a run for county commission over the past decade, but the time is finally right.

"I figure I can do a good job at it and decided to go for it," Stein said. "I'm a people person, and my experience in city government taught me a lot about law enforcement, road maintenance and the other services government provides. It is interesting work, though Ifully realize it will be time consuming. If elected, I'm going to get in my little car and go out and talk with people across the county and find out what they need."

Andy Zachmeier

Public service is important to Andy Zachmeier and played an important part in his decision to become a police officer.

"My parents believed in public service. My dad was a volunteer fireman for 25 years and involved in the community. My mother was a school teacher. Dad was also a school board member," Zachmeier said. "That's why I chose to be a police officer, I wanted to see what I can accomplish as a public official."

In his campaign for county commissioner, Zachmeier has had the chance to talk to a lot of Morton County residents. He's finding a concern over property taxes and many of the people are worried they will have to redo their home mortgages just to cover rising taxes.

"People are frustrated with elected officials when they continue to raise property taxes, in some cases it means the difference of keeping their homes or not," Zachmeier said. "I'd never want to be responsible that taxes were so high that my actions forced someone out of their home."

Retaining county employees is important, according to Zachmeier, but continually increasing salaries isn't always the answer to remaining competitive for their services.

"Salaries are not the only thing. There are good benefits, career development and training, which can pay big dividends for employees,"Zachmeier said.

Zachmeier said he believes county department heads are doing an adequate job, and it is up to them to carry out the day-to-day county business.

"I don't feel county departments need a lot of interference from the county commission," Zachmeier said. "Commissioners just need to make sure that department heads are doing their jobs. Day-to-day operations should be handled by our quality employees."

Zachmeier said he does favor merging the county and Mandan libraries. He said he believes the result will be an excellent resource for the entire county.

Communications is one of the most important tools a commissioner can have, according to Zachmeier. Along with the ability to reach an amicable compromise. As a police officer, Zachmeier said he often has been put in a position of negotiator, and he believes these abilities will serve the residents of Morton well.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)