I would like to take this opportunity to share why I think I would be a good choice for county commissioner.

I have lived in Musselshell county for 5 years. I have a vested interest in the future of the area. In the course of my candidacy, the people of Musselshell County have expressed to me a variety of concerns, mainly related to the following areas:

1. County Financial Management: Concerns regarding county budget management and the recent large tax hike. The magnitude of the tax increase created a very real hardship for many Musselshell county taxpayers.

2. Transparency: Transparency concerns as to the county’s decision making, i.e. how projects or services get prioritized for county action. Concerns regarding expenditure transparency, i.e. where the money is being spent, have also been expressed.

3. Economic Growth: If there is anything the county can do to encourage positive change, regarding the town of Roundup’s depressed conditon.

I am running for county commissioner because I strongly believe my experience and skillset would be of great benefit in addressing the above concerns. I offer over 30 years’ experience in the managing large budgets, applying critical thinking and analytical skills for decision making, and managing risk to avoid or reduce threats to performance objectives.

BACKGROUND/QUALIFICATIONS:

1. I am a westerner – born and raised in Casper, WY. My father had a Roofing and Mechanical construction firm in business in Wyoming for 49 years.

2. I am a Montana State graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering Technology.

3. I have over 30 years of project management experience in leadership roles on large complex projects and specializing in the areas cost control, schedule control and risk management.

4. These large projects involved many challenging characteristics such as: 1) multiple stakeholders with varying interests, 2) technically complex scope, 3) unique funding/budgeting constraints, 4) aggressive schedules and 5) world class risk management processes.

5. I am currently facilitating risk management on a large Department of Defense project where the DOD is destroying chemical weapons.

PHILOSOPHY/WORK APPROACH

1. I am running under the republican ticket – I identify with the core values of the GOP, including fiscal responsibility, balance budgets, lower taxes and smaller more efficient government.

2. I believe decisions require listening to and respecting the will of the Musselshell County People. Decisions should also be as objective as possible, fair and based on the facts, and in the best interest of the county.

3. My candidacy is focused on the future moving forward. I am confident I can rapidly climb the learning curve and quickly get up to speed on the current issues.

4. I would work towards addressing transparency concerns to improve communications in sharing defensible rational for decision making and project prioritization. In addition, I would work to address transparency concerns regarding expenditures and the Musselshell County People’s right to know where the money is being spent.

5. Positive working relationships are critical for being effective.

I believe is imperative to treat people with dignity and respect. I have a history of developing and maintaining positive working relationships and fully expect to utilize these skills in the role of county commissioner.

6. I am all for economic development. I believe the chamber of commerce and planning committees are more suited to take the lead for promoting economic growth for the area. However, the county should to be friendly for legitimate development projects which would benefit the county. Conversely, the county commissioners must be vigilant to protect the county against being exploited or harmed by the wrong kind of development projects.

In closing, I offer over 30 years of best-practice project management experience, in leadership roles, on large complex projects. I am eager to transfer these skills towards achieving county objectives. I am asking for your vote and truly appreciate your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Robert Pancratz

Republican Candidate for

Musselshell County Commissioner – District 1