David Withee

A founding member of West Fargo TAP (citizen's watchdog group), I have spent the last three years attending and addressing Commission meetings, researching issues, writing columns for the Forum, and being with talk show hosts. I have worked in large corporations, as a senior manager in other companies, served as local Board Chair and Regional Board Treasurer for a large healthcare group, and chaired an international industry association. Now retired, I have met with several city managers, as well as reviewed city audits, budgets, equalization reports and other documents from as far back as 2006 during many research projects.

1. Financial management because citizens need to know their taxes are used properly. Currently Commissioners do not review financial statements as a group, and expenses have surpassed revenues for the last seven audited years. 2. Help staff align their priorities with those of Commissioners, under the challenging state 3% cap on tax revenue. I have experience managing large budgets in trying situations (like the 2008/9 housing bubble burst). 3. Managing infrastructure costs. When cities grow, they create new infrastructure that must continually be maintained.

1. Do we grow again or not? More land will be available from the lagoon decommissioning and the flood diversion project. 2. Managing expenses. Four of our top ten expenses are personnel-related and are growing faster than other expenses and revenues. Three of the top ten expenses are controlled by Fargo. The 3% tax cap means unbridled expense growth is no longer possible. 3. Stabilizing management. Continual turnover for years has left us with young leaders who are self-taught and unmentored. They are good people, but they need to align their priorities with those of Commissioners and citizens.

Economic studies, as provided by the Challey Institute of NDSU, show that financial incentives do not work and are a low priority. Four other issues do matter. First, state economic freedom measures, which have greatly improved over the last few legislative sessions. Second, be a great place for employees to live. We have a safe community with great schools, parks, universities, healthcare, and retail. Third, value existing businesses. Fourth is location, location, location. We are well situated for regional distribution and manufacturing.

This has always been a North Dakota issue and is best addressed by the state, especially with their programs supporting entrepreneurs and growing businesses. This topic is regularly addressed by NDSU's Challey Institute and at the luncheons they host with local leaders (I am included) and the Federal Reserve (Minnesota). The best thing the city of West Fargo can do is to continue to be a place where people want (and can afford) to live, raise families, and work.

This question implies that the workforce question has already been answered! The simple answer (again per economic studies and the Challey Institute) is for government to stay out of the way! Government programs rarely work. Our most important task is to provide (and enforce) simple land-use, zoning, and building codes and then let the market do its' job.

Public safety is key to any and every community. West Fargo is blessed with great police and fire departments, with low and decreasing crime rates and decreasing incidents of fires (and those few are well managed). We just need to continue to support our excellent and valued staff. I would be remiss if I didn't include our public works and engineering departments, which have handled the challenges of infrastructure needs in what was at one time the fastest growing community in the state.