"Government does not define a community, its people do.  It is what we as individuals do or choose not to do that creates the community in which we live.  Government's role is to provide a safe and secure environment for its citizens, nothing more and certainly nothing less.  What sort of community we create within this framework is entirely up to us." It is this philosophy of government that drives Joe to be an active volunteer in Great Falls.

Joe is an active member of the Optimist Club of Great Falls, has been a director and officer of that organization as well as chairing their primary fund raising event, the Can Am Antique Show.  In addition to raising funds for a number of youth activities through the Optimist Club, Joe also works directly with youth by being a volunteer leader in Boy Scouts.  He has previously served in several positions on the Lewis and Clark District Committee, most recently as its Chairman. Currently Joe serves as a merit badge counselor and is an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 4. In recognition of his years of service, he was awarded the BSA District Award of Merit in 2005 and the outstanding scouter award in 2010.

In addition to his activity with the youth of Cascade County, he has also been active in the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce serving on the Committee of 80, the Military Affairs Committee, Blue Coats Committee, as a member of the Board of Directors from 1992-1998 and as the Chairman of the Board in 1997.  Joe is once again on the Chamber Board of Directors as well as serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Great Falls Development and is the immediate Past President of a five county Certified Regional Development Corporation, Sweetgrass Development.  

The associations gained through his Chamber involvement have lead to many other volunteer activities ranging from the formation of "Great Falls Positive" and the annual "Christmas Day Dinner at the Heisey".  Additionally, Briggs now serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Central Montana Defense Alliance and is Chairman of the Montana Association of Counties' Community, Economic Development and Labor Committee.

  He is the recipient of numerous volunteer awards from both national and local organizations including the "Good Apple" award from the Great Falls School District for his pro-bono work automating the libraries at both Great Falls and CM Russell High Schools.

Joe's  profession prior to becoming a Cascade County Commissioner was the owner and operator of Briggs Computer Consultants.  Computer Consultants are paid to analyze the operations of an organization and find methods by which processes and procedures can be streamlined and costs reduced.  The solutions created generally include everything from staff training, the redesign of paper flow, changes to computer software system, network and system integration and computer hardware changes.  Every solution crafted is unique as every organization is unique.  There is no "one size fits all".

The same is true in county government. Although there are many similarities between the Cascade County and other county governments, each is unique and deserves individual attention.  Joe Briggs has brought the years of training and management insights he learned in the private sector to county government and has put it to use everyday to improve Cascade County.  The citizens of Cascade County deserve both accountability and efficiency from their government and Joe works everyday to provide both to our citizens.

Re-Electing Joe Briggs will allow him to continue to use those skills coupled with over twenty years of private sector management experience and six years of direct experience as your commissioner.  A great deal of progress has already been made, but much more can be done to make Cascade County a better place to raise our families and make our homes.