Jill Schramm/MDN Minot’s mayoral candidates, from left, Rob Fuller, Mark Jantzer, Paul Pitner and Josiah Roise participate in a public forum Wednesday in City Hall.

Minot’s mayoral candidates sounded off on city spending and their priorities at a public forum hosted by Minot Area Chamber EDC Wednesday.

Rob Fuller, Mark Jantzer, Paul Pitner and Josiah Roise offered their opinions on the use of tax dollars as they discussed reserve funds, budgeting and economic development.

Roise said he favors abolishing property taxes and cutting regulations so the economy flourishes to enable sales taxes to support government services.

Fuller said his goal is to see waste removed.

“Is there a ton of it? No, there is not, and I don’t mean to imply there is, but we have some work to do in the city to make the people feel like we’re not wasting their money,” he said.

Regarding unspent money or reserves, which he listed at $40 million currently in the general fund, Fuller said he prefers the city not overcollect.

“If we are collecting tax we are not spending, then we don’t need to put it back in the general fund. I think we need to give it back to the people,” he said.

Jantzer said it is necessary to have some money in reserve to maintain bonding and cover contingencies. He said the current budget was balanced by taking $3.5 million from reserves, and an additional withdrawal from reserves might be needed to balance the 2026 budget

“I don’t think it’s an ideal practice because it’s not sustainable over time,” he said.

Pitner said the city has been using reserves to help fund budgets for the past four years.

“If we are going to use those dollars, let’s not subsidize and lie to ourselves about what government costs. Let’s invest those dollars into our roads. We heard from our citizens. We want better roads. We want better infrastructure,” he said.

Roise mentioned wayfinder signage as examples of waste, suggesting money for special interest projects be redirected to roads and other activities that benefit all residents.

He added he has had contact with an individual who indicated Minot would be able to bring a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) representative to the city to introduce cost-cutting principles.

However, candidates largely supported tweaks rather than an overhaul of city government.

“The city government does a lot of things well,” Jantzer said. “We need to continue to make improvements and continue to try to give good value for the tax dollars that we’re collecting.”

“What most of us would like to see is things done a little bit differently, a little bit more efficiently, where we feel like we are listened to, we’re being heard and we’re spending our tax dollars correctly,” Fuller said.

“It’s minor tweaks, and I think a lot of it comes from doing a better job of communicating,” Pitner said of community perception. “A lot of times it’s just a lack of information.”

Roise said his major change would be to restore adherence to constitutional principles.

“Furthermore, we need people on board, that are on here (council), to swear an oath to the Constitution and to know it, because if you know it and you’re violating it, then you are certainly unfit to lead,” he said.

Jantzer, who is serving as acting mayor, said a 2026 budget that adequately funds city services would be his top priority, if elected to fill the term that expires in June 2026. All the candidates indicated they expect to run again in June 2026 if elected Aug. 5.

Fuller said he would want to reduce budget spending and also get the community involved in its government.

“I want to hear from the community,” he said. “So many of us in the community have not felt heard for so long. I want people to re-engage. And how do we do that? We have to prove to them that we’re going to do what they asked us to do.”

Roise said his first priority would be law enforcement reform, adopting a constitutional sheriff model and merging the Minot Police Department into the Ward County Sheriff’s Department. His other priorities include removing fluoride from the city’s water system and acquiring a water filtration system, along with lowering taxes.

Pitner said an initial priority should be rebuilding the city’s reputation and restoring integrity to the mayor’s position.

“We are somewhat of a laughingstock of the state and, maybe you could even say, the country,” he said.

He also listed as a priority the establishment of a land development committee, which is a recommendation he proposed to the Economic Development Review Committee that will be advancing to council. The committee would focus on finding ways to encourage housing development.

Pitner said the city needs to invest money into economic development. He had pushed for an ordinance change to allow the city to use MAGIC Fund dollars to invest in economic development activities that have included the downtown facade improvements and retail recruitment, he said.

Jantzer said the city needs to maintain its economic development programs to stay competitive and promote business.

“There are perhaps some modifications that we can make to reduce costs of some of those things, but we need to keep pushing for economic development,” he said.

Fuller said the government’s two levers to address economic development are low regulation and low taxes.

“We have a lot of both of those in Minot right now. We are high regulation. We are high tax,” he said. “Those are two of the things we have to change right away.”

Roise said government’s role is to cancel red tape and regulations.

“It is not the government’s job to boost or support local business,” Roise said. “It’s the people’s job, and if they don’t want to support it, then let that business fail.”

Candidates also weighed in on the flood control project, which Fuller has voiced concern about due to rising costs. Fuller said Wednesday the project needs to be finished.

“If we can finish it faster, that’s great. If we can find ways to cut some of the costs, I think that would be great as well,” he said.

Jantzer and Pitner urged continuing to work toward enhanced flood protection, citing the critical nature of the project and the need to avoid higher flood insurance premiums for residents in the flood plain.

Roise said he would need to study the flood protection issue. He blamed the 2011 flood on mismanagement by the Corps of Engineers and wildlife agencies.

“I could even entertain the idea of a conspiracy theory that it was actually, maybe, allowed to happen for the purpose of a land grab,” he said, referring to the resulting property buyouts.

Wednesday’s forum drew an estimated 100 people. Moderator Mark Lyman with MACEDC presented candidates with written questions from audience members and people watching online.

The election will be held Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. in Minot Municipal Auditorium, Room 201.