Dennis Pitman
Mark Morse
2022 is an election year that will see a vacancy open for election of the Board of County Commissioners for District 2.
Incumbent County Commissioner Denis Pitman, who has announced that he will be filing for re-election, already has a Republican primary contender in Mark Morse, who is also vying for the position. Filing for election to local and state political offices in 2022 will open in Yellowstone County Thursday, January 13.
“I absolutely love my position as a Yellowstone County Commissioner, and have been honored to be representing the people of this county for the past five years,” said Pitman about his first term in office.
County Commissioners serve six-year terms.
“There are many issues facing us including public safety, growth and development, and quality of life issues that will have major impacts on everyone,” said Pitman. “I look forward to sharing my vision in these exciting times…”
Morse, who describes himself as a lifelong conservative, said that he is running because he believes the Board of County Commissioners “needs an individual with integrity and common sense to solve complex issues affecting county residents.” Morse said he wants to lead Yellowstone County into the future “by talking less and listening more.”
Morse emphasizes the importance such attributes will have in the future as the county is confronted with serious law enforcement issues and community safety issues. Morse believes strongly in local control and believes that transparency and forthrightness is essential.
Morse said he brings “diplomacy, extensive experience in law enforcement and a good nature to the office of County Commissioner.” He adds that he “will not back down from controversial issues involving constituents.”
About many of the issues that are likely to be forthcoming, Pitman said, “I have been preparing for over my first term in office.” He cites as achievements, securing the BUILD grant which will allow the completion of the Inner Belt Loop; the Billings By-pass is under construction; Alkali Creek was paved all the way to Highway 3. And, “the 1st Avenue improvements surrounding MetraPark have been fast tracked as well as hundreds of miles of roads have been improved and repaired throughout our county. We improved public safety with the additional safety levy for the County Attorney’s office, as well as expansion of the jail, and other safety equipment for the sheriff’s office.”
Morse lists as his top priorities as a county commissioner– working with local law enforcement to reduce crime; protecting gun and hunting rights; supporting accountability to citizens by following Open Meetings laws; reduce government overreach affecting individuals and businesses; development of natural resources; and to assure local control for MetraPark.
Prior to running for county commissioner, Pitman served as a Billings City Council member.
Pitman has been a licensed mortician for 29 years, and a licensed real estate agent in Billings since 2015. He also has a company, TIRE SAVER, Pitman & Associates.
A Montana native, Pitman moved to Billings from Butte as a child and attended Heights’ schools and holds a BA with double major Liberal Arts, Behavioral Science. He also attended Mount Angel Seminary College, St. Benedict OR 1988 and two years of Graduate School of Theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, IL. He also has an Associates degree of Applied Science, Mortuary Studies, from Mt. Hood Community College, Gresham, OR.
Morse came to Montana in 1993 having been raised in upstate New York. He is retired from his position as a United States Postal Inspector (Special Agent) from 1985 – 2009.
Morse graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a BS in Economics and moved to Montana in 1993.
He has been a Reserve Deputy with the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office since 2009. He also owns and operates a Private Investigation firm specializing in worker’s compensation and corporate fraud. Morse managed a large central Montana ranch for several years and is “no stranger to hard work.” When he is not doing investigations, Mark works for the Sheriff’s Office, at a local machine shop, helps neighbors or spends time at their cabin, fishing and hiking.
Among the achievements Pitman sees as significant in his first term as county commissioner is leading “the call for changes in the way mental health have been provided in our community, and now we have a continuum of care and are preparing a mobile crisis unit for those most vulnerable in our community.
He has been part of the two–year master planning of MetraPark, and is “looking forward to developing the entire 189 acres into a regional hub for many events that will support our entire area.”
Pitman has served on a wide range of boards and committees from the Downtown Billings Partnership, to Big Sky Economic Development.
Morse is married to Teresa Darnielle, a Billings native, who recently retired from managing her own long-standing, successful business.
Pitman and his wife, Paula, have seven children and three grandchildren.
