Jill Schramm/MDN Minot mayor candidate Tom Ross, right, speaks at a candidate forum hosted by the Minot Association of Builders Thursday. At left are candidates Shaun Sipma, current mayor, and Miranda Schuler.

A three-way race for mayor, along with contests for Minot City Council, could help boost turnout in the city election that will be decided June 14.

Ward County counted a record 13,041 ballots in the 2020 primary, which was conducted entirely by mail/absentee balloting. Secretary of State records show 5,277 votes for the top vote-getter in the Minot City Council race in 2020.

Mayoral race

Piquing interest in this year’s city election is the race featuring three strong contenders for mayor. Minot city residents will choose among Miranda Schuler, an insurance agent, former city council member from 2014-18 and current school board member whose term is expiring; Tom Ross, executive director of an assisted-living center and council member in his first term; and incumbent Shaun Sipma, a former broadcaster and current insurance agent who is completing his first term as mayor after serving from 2016-18 on the council. In addition, all have been active in different capacities within the community.

“My interest in running for the mayoral position stems back to my deep love of our community and desire to continue to give back in a public service role,” Schuler said in response to questions posed to the candidates by The Minot Daily News.

Schuler said her prior service on the council and school board give her a uniquely diverse perspective.

“I look at the role of mayor from a multi-faceted approach with an ultimate goal of encouraging collaboration and coordination for the overall well-being of Minot and her citizens,” she said.

“I tend to lead with a Meta-Leadership style, which looks to complement other community leaders while empowering employees and citizens. I see this style of leadership as the most effective to meet goals, confront challenges and work collaboratively,” she said. “I would like to see the mayoral role be one that is less focused on the person in the position, but rather one that generates engagement through active participation.”

“For me, running for mayor of the City of Minot is a decision that has been easy,” Ross said. “It’s clear to me, Minot needs a leader for all of Minot. Minot needs a leader who will listen, bring people together, work on solutions and be inclusive. Since the change in the structure of the office of the mayor, it’s important to have a mayor who will work and do their very best to bring the council together, bring the city together, create a culture for everyone. No matter who you are, you can and will have your voice heard. I believe people want to be a part of the solution, when they feel they can be heard.”

Ross added he’s not a career politician.

“I want to help create a stronger community, encourage service to the community, and when I leave office I will leave a stronger Minot in the hands of a council and mayor who will continue building on the energy we created,” he said.

Sipma said the mayor’s role is not just ceremonial, but the mayor serves as the voice and lead advocate for the community.

“My interest in serving as mayor for a second and final term is to continue to move the community forward with strategic growth, improved quality of life, responsible fiscal planning combined with critical infrastructure investment,” Sipma said. “It is so very important for the mayor to build strong and lasting relationships with our community partners as well as those at the state and federal level.”

The position of mayor may be part time but, in reality, requires constant attention, Sipma added.

“Over the past four years I committed to put in the effort and hours and will continue to improve our community and provide the representation that everyone deserves,” he said. “As mayor I have worked hard on always being professional, and carrying that forward in my personal life long before I was elected, and will continue through a second term and long after.”

Sipma said his past four years in the position have been rewarding despite challenges and road bumps. Better processes have emerged, along with stronger collaboration throughout the city leadership team and more value placed on the hard work of city employees to provide essential services, he said.

Mayor priorities

In looking at future priorities, Sipma said the mayor must be at the forefront in advocating for flood control support from the Legislature and in advancing the completion date from 2042 to 2035, saving the city more than $80 million in inflationary construction costs and the citizens more than $79 million in flood insurance costs while providing protection from another devastating flood. Economic development and redevelopment also are critical components of growing the city’s tax base without adding infrastructure cost and maintenance, he said.

“We have seen success in that very arena when we look downtown at how many buildings have been rehabilitated and are now thriving businesses. Attracting new business and workforce is just as important, as we will need people to fill the jobs that are now open and those that will be created,” he said.

“The challenge will be meeting the needs and wants of the community while respecting the burden of property taxes. It will take an engaged mayor and council to work with city staff to craft budgets that protect and maintain infrastructure without sacrificing safety response departments such as fire and police and, yes, even public works,” he said. “It will be important to keep the lines of communication open with the community, whether it be through Citizen Satisfaction Surveys or direct one-on-one conversations.”

Ross said moving a city forward requires focus and working together with community organizations and Minot’s legislators.

His priorities include fast-tracked funding for flood control and taking the Northwest Area Water Supply project past the finish line.

“As a community, we need a focus on aggressive efforts on economic development. The residents have invested in this effort and they deserve results. We have a new vision in the Chamber EDC, and I look forward to working with that team to help provide results we can all be proud of,” he said.

He also wants to empower City of Minot staff to help find ways to save tax dollars.

“Our employees are in the trenches every day. They see firsthand areas where we can save money. For those employees that help the city save money, we should reward them,” he said.

“There is an energy in Minot right now, created by some wonderful projects that will benefit the city for years to come,” Ross added. “Trinity’s new hospital campus will seal Minot’s future for a regional, world-class healthcare facility for the next 100 years. That project alone has helped spur incredible growth in the southwest portion of our city. Minot North High School and the Sentinels will inject an energy of development for the north side of Minot. The seed of growth has been planted, and investment in the northwest side of Minot will continue. Finally the iconic Big M building, along with the new City Hall, will continue to fuel the fire of development that has begun downtown. Helping these developments and projects are my top priorities.”

Schuler said a recent citizen’s survey and conversations within the community indicate to her that residents want many things from local government but especially critical infrastructure and services.

“Things like good roads, complete flood protection, safe walking corridors, clean drinking water, reliable sanitary sewer, responsive fire and police service and trash collection continue to be tangible services we as citizens expect. In tough economic times, these services must remain a high priority,” she said. “It is also imperative we market ourselves as a place for overall citizen satisfaction, growth and personal wellbeing. With these objectives in mind, we will attract new people to live and work in Minot.”

She also noted the long-term improvements being made with a new hospital and high school, expanded and enhanced park facilities, responsible use of economic growth tools and partnerships with neighbors such as Minot Air Force Base, calling these improvements a start in attracting new residents.

“We need strong council members who are willing to advocate for the passions of our citizens and the long-term sustainability of life in Minot at all levels with one collective voice,” she said.

Council race

Minot’s mayor is a voting member of the city council. Three of the council’s other six members are seeking re-election. Along with council members Paul Pitner, Mark Jantzer and Lisa Olson, newcomer Zach Raknerud is running in the council race.

Darrick Trudell is not a candidate for the council, although he withdrew too late to remove his name from the ballot.

Raknerud moved to Minot after graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2016. He has stated he is running for the council because he wants to serve a community that he has come to love and considers home.

“There are a lot of opportunities to keep improving our city. I want to be an advocate for the people of our community and be someone open to changing their mind or trying new things based on feedback from the people of Minot,” he said when announcing his run.

His greatest satisfaction with current city operation has been the council’s use of creative tools in economic development, namely the expansion of the Renaissance Zone and tax increment financing.

“My goal as a member of the council is to continue exploring what new and creative ways we can attract businesses and residents to our city. I would like to see the NAWS sales tax repurposed into the community so that we can make investments without raising taxes,” Raknerud said.

Olson said her 12 years on the council have included dealing with a flood, energy boom, staff turnover, flood protection, racial unrest, a global pandemic and financial highs and lows. She estimates she has voted on about 5,000 agenda items.

“Some of the projects that I am most proud of include additional low- to moderate-income housing, the creation of a CTE, improved infrastructure, better communication, vital flood protection, more small businesses and continuous female representation in local government. All of these projects are a result of good collaboration among many stakeholders. If given the opportunity to continue my service to the citizens of Minot, I hope to build on these successes,” Olson said.

“I ran four years ago because I felt like I had something to contribute,” Pitner said at a recent candidate forum. “I don’t feel like my job is done on the council. I feel like there’s still a lot of opportunity out there for our community. I feel like there’s a lot of benchmarks we can clear, not only in flood control and NAWS.”

He added there are good things happening in the community as well.

“I feel like I’ve been a part of that. I’ve been a catalyst for that over the past four years. I’d like to see that continue,” he said.

Jantzer, first elected to the council in 2008, said he believes the council has worked better together as a team in the past four years.

“I am proud of that,” he said. “The truth is very little can be accomplished solo by a single council member, so working together as a team is key. The council has stayed consistent on the big priorities. Thus, we have made much progress on flood protection, with completion of Milestone 1 in sight. Since the legal cases were settled, also steady progress on NAWS. We selected and are installing a new software system for running the city, replacing a system from the 1980s, and I was happy to serve on the selection committee. This new system and its capabilities will make a huge difference in the way we do business.”

He also noted a more open budget process, with increased communication with department heads and citizens and greater engagement by council members. He noted resiliency grant projects are on track, employee turnover is reduced, communication with citizens has improved and automated garbage collection has opened the way for future curbside recycling.

“The city is more engaged in economic development efforts than we had been previously, with a development director, a retail business recruiting firm working on our behalf based on accurate data on who is spending money in Minot, and access to a national database for those seeking to locate businesses. Minot has a lot going for it. Our citizens are hardworking and resilient. We are making steady progress,” Jantzer said.

Council priorities

Jantzer said he hopes to see a number of projects completed in the next four years. They include additional flood control phases, NAWS, Fire Station #5, new city software system and National Disaster Resilience grant projects. He supports efforts toward curbside recycling and improving street maintenance and the focus on maintaining airline services and Minot Air Force Base retention.

“Fiscal responsibility is extremely important. I will continue to limit taxes, to make every dollar count and to make the city government more efficient in providing essential city services,” he said. “The council leads when we communicate what the options and trade-offs are in budgeting and execution, since funds are always less than the wants. With citizen input, we need to then make the necessary hard choices of prioritizing projects, and pushing some to the future, and being realistic enough to take some off the table.”

Olson said her priority is for Minot to be a community that people want to call home.

“This can be achieved through collaborative efforts among the City of Minot, local businesses, area schools and our residents,” she said, adding the council plays a role by providing quality services while being efficient stewards of taxpayer dollars.

“Residents expect and deserve good municipal services, such as an effective police department, a responsive fire department, an efficient public works department and a forward-thinking engineering department. In 2022, they also expect timely communication from the public information office. Providing these services comes at a cost, so responsible budgeting is imperative,” she said.

Olson sees the Magic City Aspirations, which outlines how the council can best serve residents, as goalposts to measure success.

“While I believe goals are important, I have also learned that priorities can change, whether it be through a flood, a global pandemic or simply cultural shifts. City council members must be polite, professional and purposeful to move in the direction that our residents believe is most prudent,” she said.

Raknerud said his top priority would be to see Minot responsibly develop in areas that are currently being impacted.

“Specifically, getting a commitment from Trinity Hospitals on which buildings they will be vacating downtown before we authorize any more funds. Additionally, I would like to see responsible but impactful development surrounding the flood project and the new Trinity Hospital as those projects progress,” he said.

Pitner has listed the advancement of flood control as his priority. He also has been a proponent of economic development to grow the tax base to keep property taxes in line. He has called for Minot to be more responsive to business, encouraging developers and small businesses to consider Minot.

“We have to be open for business. We have to get people to invest in Minot, whether its developers or people who live, work and play in Minot. We have to become a community that’s open and competitive, not only within the state but nationally and internationally. We have great assets here that can make our community better,” he said.