“I just would love to be a voice for people here.”
That’s the impetus behind Angie Wright’s decision to run for Fergus County Commissioner for District 1.
Wright, who grew up in Lewistown, said she’s always had an affinity for local government.
“My grandfather was big on the City commission,” Wright said. “Both he and my father always said, ‘If you don’t participate, you can’t complain.’ I’ve taken that to heart. I enjoy the workings of local government.”
Wright said she has been in leadership roles from an early age, including starting an advocacy group in high school for children of National Guard parents when many of those parents were being deployed overseas. She is the founder of the non-profit community advocacy group Community Minded Solutions for Central Montana.
“I was active in the Jaycees and held multiple positions in the Elks. Forming Community Minded Solutions helped me understand the forefront of what’s happening locally, and how complicated it can get when we are trying to solve problems. But people in Fergus County are really great at coming together to find solutions, if given the opportunity,” Wright said.
She added that her 26 years in business gives her the background in problem solving that dealing with large, complex issues requires.
“I think the biggest issue facing Fergus County is housing, both the lack of housing and the cost. COVID really changed the logistics here. Suddenly we had a large amount of Air BnBs and VRBOs that took rental units off the market. A strong percentage of the community rents, so a lot of people have been pushed out.
During that time, houses were being bought sight-unseen, with bidding wars pushing the prices off the charts. The market is starting to recover now, but more is needed. This is not something the City or County commissions can fix by waving a magic wand. We need a community conversation,” Wright said.
She said her solution is to invite people to bring their ideas to the table.
“There are things we can do. A lot of our residents here are brilliant, but zoning codes kind of stop them, especially when it comes to revamping older buildings. I’ve been speaking to people and watching the City/County Planning Commission. I think a focus on outlying communities, like Denton, that want to grow, may hold the answer. We need growth, but on our own terms, not like Missoula or Bozeman.”
Another important issue for Wright is how easy it is for citizens to understand how their local government works. The answer is transparency, she said.
“I feel people have fallen out of love with it [government]. It’s important people are curious enough to want to participate, and important that participation comes at the front end, not after the fact, not reacting,” Wright said. “I’m hoping I can bring that clarity because residents are affected by all the decisions that are made.”
Wright defines herself as a county citizen and taxpayer.
“I’m just like everyone else, so I would love to be their voice,” she explained.
Wright said she was asked to run back in February by people she knows, so she has been getting ready by researching about what the job of county commissioner is.
“Over the last few months I’ve been getting ahold of the heads of organizations to get a grasp of what a commissioner does. If I am elected in November, I plan to sit under the wings of the current commissioners to learn more about what they do.”
She said current County Commissioner Ross Butcher encouraged her to run, but the two agreed on keeping things positive.
“We have a handshake that we will do this as friends,” Wright said.
Wright said her roots are in Fergus County, as she was born and grew up here. She spent time as a child at her grandfather’s store on South Fifth Avenue. A Fergus High School graduate, Wright attended Dawson Community College where she studied business and auto mechanics. When getting a job as a mechanic turned out to be difficult, she pivoted, graduating from beauty school in Billings. She moved back to Lewistown 26 years ago, and has raised two kids here while working as a salon owner or independent contractor.
For more information on Wright’s campaign, visit the website wrightchoice4fergus.com.