Garfield County, MT elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Garfield County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Garfield County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Carla R McWilliams source
County Commissioner, District 2Jerry Collins sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Kelly Witt source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Attorney/Public AdministratorAdam Forslund sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk and Recorder/AssessorCharlie Saylor sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff/CoronerJoe Tate sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Superintendent of SchoolsHeather Gibson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Treasurer/Clerk of District CourtJennifer L Crawford sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Garfield County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 12 local governments in Garfield County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships10
School districts (school boards)70
Special districts (elected boards)30

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Garfield County

1,094people
43.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$69,583 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
21%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$169,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
0%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.8%U.S.: 8.4%
38.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
40.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0% · White 96.7% · Black 0% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 3.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Garfield County

1.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.4%. Montana: 2.5%.
11people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
632people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
643in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Garfield County 0.0%0.9%1.7%2.6%3.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.7%11632643
August 20261.8%11611622
July 20261.8%11616627
June 20262.7%16585601
May 20262.0%12598610
April 20262.6%17626643
March 20264.6%29606635
February 20264.6%29596625
January 20264.8%31609640
December 20253.9%25614639
November 20252.4%14578592
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.4%15613628
August 20252.3%15638653
July 20252.6%17630647
June 20252.7%18653671
May 20252.0%13630643
April 20252.1%14650664
March 20252.9%20658678
February 20254.1%27633660
January 20253.9%26636662
December 20243.8%25640665
November 20243.1%20619639
October 20241.8%12670682
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.9%19630649
20243.3%22642664
20233.2%22661683
20222.9%20667687
20212.7%18655673
20203.0%20656676
20192.6%18669687
20182.8%19658677
20173.0%21677698
20163.3%23683706

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Montana's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.1% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Garfield County

0.0 per 100,0002025. Montana: 419.1.
84.9 per 100,0002025. Montana: 1,448.5.
0murders2025, 0 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202500.0184.9
2024182.5182.5
2023181.0181.0
202200.0180.2
2020178.83236.4
201900.02157.0
2017175.22150.4
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Garfield County Sheriff's Office2025011,178

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Montana · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.55 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 1,178 people.
3sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Garfield County Sheriff's Office311,178
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202532.5511
202432.4811
202332.4311
202232.4111
202132.3211
202032.3611
201932.3511
201832.2911
201732.2601
201632.2311

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Garfield County County Attorney/Public Administrator?
Adam Forslund is the County Attorney/Public Administrator of Garfield County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder/Assessor?
Charlie Saylor is the Clerk and Recorder/Assessor of Garfield County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garfield County Sheriff/Coroner?
Joe Tate is the Sheriff/Coroner of Garfield County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garfield County Superintendent of Schools?
Heather Gibson is the Superintendent of Schools of Garfield County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garfield County Treasurer/Clerk of District Court?
Jennifer L Crawford is the Treasurer/Clerk of District Court of Garfield County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Garfield County commissioners?
Carla R McWilliams (District 1); Jerry Collins (District 2); Kelly Witt (District 3).
What is the population of Garfield County?
About 1,094 people, with a median age of 43.3; the median household income is $69,583 and 13.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Garfield County?
1.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 11 people unemployed in a labor force of 643, against 2.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Garfield County?
12 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 7 school district and 3 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from each county's own website (its elected-officials or department pages, read November 7, 2026), or a county's certified canvass; offices no county page names are left out; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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