A pair of candidate withdrawals in Cascade County has left two local races without competition heading into the November general election, with a longtime Democratic officeholder stepping aside from the county clerk and recorder contest due to a family medical situation.

Fontana Moore Steps Back

Rina Fontana Moore, who served as Cascade County clerk and recorder for 16 years, withdrew from the November race, citing her family’s health circumstances. “Given my family’s current circumstances, I do not believe I could make that commitment if elected,” Fontana Moore told the Montana Free Press.

Her departure as the Democratic candidate clears a path for Republican Lynn DeRoche, who won the GOP primary in June. DeRoche spent more than a decade working under Fontana Moore as the county’s election manager, giving her substantial institutional experience in the office she now seeks to lead without opposition — assuming Democrats opt not to field a replacement.

The Cascade County Democratic Central Committee was scheduled to vote Sunday, August 17, on whether to put forward a substitute candidate. Early signals within the local party suggested members were leaning against doing so. The party faces a hard deadline of August 19 to name a replacement if it chooses to act.

Justice of the Peace Race Also Narrows

A second contested race in Cascade County quietly dissolved earlier this month when Cayle Halberg withdrew from the justice of the peace contest on August 7. Halberg had been running against incumbent Steven Fagenstrom. With no challenger remaining, the November ballot will instead present voters with a retention question — whether to keep Fagenstrom in the seat — rather than a head-to-head matchup.

The two uncontested outcomes reflect a broader dynamic in Montana local government elections, where candidate recruitment and last-minute withdrawals can shape November results more decisively than the general election itself. Voters in races for county offices and judgeships often see competitive primaries give way to one-sided or uncontested generals. For context on how withdrawal deadlines have played out at the statewide level, all four Montana U.S. Senate candidates remained on the November ballot after the statewide withdrawal deadline passed.

Great Falls Commission Faces Tax Vote

The Great Falls City Commission is set to take up a series of financially significant items at its Tuesday meeting, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Commissioners are expected to vote on a property tax levy and special assessments that would affect most residential property owners in the city.

Under the proposed levy, the owner of a home valued at $300,000 would see an estimated annual property tax increase of $27, while owners of a $600,000 home would face roughly $57 more per year. Parks assessments for a $300,000 home are projected at $37.50. The commission is also weighing a 5 percent increase in street maintenance funding, which would add an estimated $7.26 annually to the average lot assessment. Eleven public hearings are on the agenda for the meeting.

Road Work and a New Learning Center

Commuters in Great Falls should expect delays beginning Monday as a 30-day closure of 67th Street North gets underway between Giant Springs Road and 18th Avenue North.

On the education front, Great Falls College MSU is preparing to open an Early Learning Center at 1900 23rd St. S. An open house is planned for September 11, with the center’s first day of operations set for September 14.

Looking Ahead

The August 19 deadline will determine whether Cascade County’s clerk and recorder race remains a one-candidate contest. If Democrats decline to act, DeRoche will head into November without opposition — a significant outcome for an office that plays a central administrative role in county elections. Meanwhile, competitive races elsewhere on Montana’s fall ballot continue to draw attention, including the U.S. Senate contest where an independent candidate is pressing forward despite long odds.

The Tuesday city commission meeting remains the most immediate flashpoint for Great Falls residents, who will have the opportunity to weigh in during public hearings before commissioners vote on the proposed tax and assessment measures.