Dr. Annie Bukacek’s departure from the Flathead City-County Board of Health became official late last month after she provided a letter of resignation to the county commissioners.
Bukacek’s resignation was contingent on the county’s receipt of a letter of resignation. That letter, dated March 22, was received on March 24, about a week after she had announced at a March 17 board meeting she would be resigning.
The news came as a surprise to some members of the board. Bukacek had cited her intention to run for a seat on the Public Service Commission and a desire to avoid potential conflicts of interest. The PSC is a state utility regulator that has faced increased scrutiny in recent years amid scandals involving board members and staff. A legal fight over population differences in PSC districts recently ended in the adoption of a new district map. That has left Flathead County in District 5, which has an open seat and also includes Lake County, Lewis and Clark County and Teton County.
Bukacek’s letter of resignation is brief, just three sentences long. “Please accept this as my formal resignation from the health board,” Bukacek wrote. “I am grateful for the appointment and know that in my time spent on this board, I have been able to serve and protect my community well. Thank you for the great opportunity!”
Bukacek joined the board in early 2020, and her time on the board was marked by controversy, primarily revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health response to it. An anti-vaccine activist and leader in the local anti-vaccine community, Bukacek participated in and helped organize protests against public health measures and guidance aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. Bukacek also criticized and questioned other members of the board, including Health Officer Joe Russell.
County Commissioner Pamela Holmquist, who sits on the board of health, said she wasn’t entirely sure, but that in all likelihood Bukacek’s seat will be filled in the fall, which is when she said the county typically advertises board openings. Commissioners then vote on their preferred appointment, usually in November. Bukacek’s term was set to expire at the end of the year. According to Holmquist, a new board appointee voted on in the fall would be appointed to a new term. Board members serve three-year terms.
With Bukacek gone, the board of health now has eight of its nine seats filled, joining a number of county boards with unfilled seats, in some cases because no one applied. The Tax Appeal Board has had an opening since January 2022, the Fire Service Area Board has had an opening since roughly October 2021, and the Transportation Advisory Committee has had at least one opening since January 2022, according to the county commissioner’s office. Other county board and committees with openings include the Martin City Rural Fire District, the Olney Rural Fire District, the Badrock Rural Fire District, the Bigfork Rural Fire District, and the Flathead County Animal Advisory Committee, which advises the board of health on issues regarding control of stray dogs and cats, and the operation of the county animal shelter.
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April 11, 2022 at 06:15PM
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Bukacek's Resignation from Health Board Official, Seat Likely to be Filled Later in Year - Flathead Beacon
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