Nonpartisan
Candidate Questionnaire
What motivated you to run for the Fargo City Commission? (100 words max)
I am motivated to run for a commission seat to serve this amazing community which has been my home for more than 35 years. Fargo is a safe, sound, growing and thriving community that pulls together when people need help, encourages small business, supports the arts, embraces manufacturing, has a low unemployment rate, has shown great growth and leadership in the tech sector, offers a fantastic parks and recreation system and has plenty of activities for leisure time. In short, I am proud of Fargo and the life we experience here.
What personal, professional, or community experiences have best prepared you to serve as a Fargo City Commissioner? (100 words max)
Personal: growing up with a parent actively involved in serving because they genuinely cared about the city, the people who lived and worked there and the experience of people who visited.
Professional: employment with large and small employers, working with executives, contractors, vendors, administration and teams of all sizes, managing budgets, making hard decisions, adhering to timeframes, honoring government contracting rules and negotiating specific outcomes.
Community: volunteer roles statewide and within the community, schools and church along with my school board service. My school board experience parallels commissioners’ roles well: standing meetings, liaison assignments and special meetings as called.
If elected as City Commissioner, what would be your top three priorities for the City of Fargo, and why? (100 words max)
1. Professionalism in all working relationships, inside and outside of City Hall. Each outcome may not always be the “perfect solution” for all involved, but those interested deserve to understand how and why decisions are made. When disagreements arise, focus should be on the topic, not a person.
2. Make decisions based on data with input from experts in their respective fields - not emotion and media headlines.
3. Focus first on core services because these things are the critical “heartbeat” of the city, these things make the city function on a daily basis.
Looking ahead five years, what do you see as the most significant opportunities and challenges facing Fargo? (100 words max)
Managing growth, financial stability accompanying that growth and increase of affordable housing all while maintaining already-existing infrastructure and/or investing in new.
What strategies or initiatives would you support to attract, retain, and expand businesses in Fargo? Please include your perspective on the role of local incentives in economic development. (100 words max)
The city can certainly be a partner in building up and/or expanding local businesses large and small. Utilizing existing policies and tax incentives may encourage businesses to locate in Fargo. Incentives can be used judiciously, there are times it makes sense to use them. However, tax incentives may not always be necessary. Each situation must be reviewed thoroughly.
Workforce availability remains one of the most significant challenges facing employers across the region. What role can the City play in supporting workforce attraction, retention, and development? (100 words max)
The city can partner by working with businesses to locate in Fargo but also by maintaining and investing in affordable housing, transit, parks and recreation, safety and quality infrastructure. Fargo must be a desirable community in which to live and work, along with offering options for recreation and leisure time. Quality of life outside of work matters.
The Chamber and FM Economic Development are also key players in workforce attraction and development. An initiative is underway (Innovate28) promoting substantial workforce growth development (12,000 by January 2029) and business development (goal: facilitate 130 business expansions/relocations).
In 2023, F-M Metro COG conducted a study of the metro area’s housing market that identified the need for 16,400 housing units across the region by 2033. What policies or tools can the City of Fargo use to support the development of attainable, market-rate housing in Fargo? (100 words max)
There are various ways Fargo can support the development of affordable housing. It may be through land-use policy changes, public-private partnerships, and/or utilization of various financing tools (HUD, TIF, tax exemptions). As projects are proposed, they will need to be closely evaluated to determine what methods may be best. Fargo is currently reviewing and modifying the Land Development Code based on parameters from the 2024 growth plan. These documents are the “roadmap” shaping Fargo’s growth over the next 20 years.
How critical is public safety to the vibrancy and vitality of our community, and what approaches would you support to strengthen public safety in Fargo? (100 words max)
Public safety is absolutely critical to our community, now and for the foreseeable future. Fargo is growing and we are going to experience change along the way because of that growth. I fully trust the Fargo Police and Fire Departments to determine the best ways to keep our community safe, they are the experts. My position is to support them in those efforts.
Do you support or oppose transitioning to a ward-based commission system? Please explain your position. (100 words max)
My mind is open. Fargo’s commission is set up so all commissioners must focus on the entire city. This approach makes sense because it provides a broader picture for commissioners to make decisions, the entire city must be considered.
With wards, a council member focuses on their ward, therefore constituents could contact them directly with needs and concerns. Because a council member lives in the ward, they should have a strong sense of the ward’s needs. However, council members might not have the bigger picture in mind when they come to the table.