However, it isn’t the last word. Council member Rob Fuller, who has been advocating for the change, said he will continue pushing to see it happen. Meanwhile, council member Paul Pitner directed staff to draft a resolution for a new half percent sales tax for public safety to be considered at a future council meeting.

City ordinance currently sets aside one penny of sales tax for flood control, 50%; capital improvements, 25%; flood control or economic development, 15%; and property tax relief, 10%.

At the July 21 meeting, Fuller had proposed using some of the allocation to support police and fire services while keeping flood control, although there was interest on the council in also dedicating money to core city services.

The city attorney drafted three ordinance proposals for the council’s consideration. One split the penny with 50% for flood control and 50% for public safety, core city services and flood control. Another divided the tax equally between flood control and public safety, and a third preserved the current uses but gave the option to use those funds for public safety.

Council member Mike Blessum moved to support the split between flood control and public safety.

“I think this fits the intent,” he said. “Police and fire are core services for what we’re doing and what we’re trying to take care of as the city.”

Council member Lisa Olson noted that although she is a staunch supporter of public safety services, voters have approved allocating some of the sales tax to economic development.

“I feel very uncomfortable now, one meeting after this was introduced, to make that dramatic of a change. We haven’t given the public much of an opportunity to hear about this or to give us feedback,” she said, asking to table the matter.

“You say you’re a staunch supporter of fire and PD, but you want to make sure that the facade program and Renaissance program survive, instead of making sure that they get all their officers and all their firefighters and their equipment,” Fuller said. “I’m stunned by that, because I think if you went out in the community and asked everybody individually, ‘Which would you rather have? Who should fight over our dollars? Fire and PD, or the people that want us to redo their buildings’. I’m pretty sure that they would tell you the people that want us to redo their buildings should be the ones fighting for the dollars, not fire and PD.”

“Let’s call it what it is. This is an attempt to get the city out of economic development,” Pitner said. “It’s difficult to sit here and say either people get their buildings done or you need to support your fire and police. It’s oversimplifying this a great deal.”

Olson also pushed back on Fuller’s interpretation of her priorities.

“I think you’re right in respect that we will hear that police and fire are a priority over economic development,” she said. “But until we’ve given people the opportunity to give us input on something that they approved through a vote, through an election, I don’t think that is our place to make the decision.”

“The people have told us consistently they want lower taxes,” Blessum said. “They want their services taken care of, and they want lower taxes. This is an opportunity to do that. It’s to take care of exactly the focus the city should have and not hang another heavy weight around the necks of the taxpayers.”

He added Minot is a different city with different priorities than when voters approved sales tax dollars for economic development in 1990 and again in 2004.

Acting mayor Mark Jantzer pointed out about $400,000 worth of traffic signal improvements in the 2026 preliminary budget would be canceled or would need to be funded in some other way if the sales tax allocation for capital improvements is discontinued.

The motion to table the motion to reallocate the tax failed 2-4 with objections from Fuller, Pitner, Blessum and Scott Samuelson. The vote to approve the sales tax reallocation failed with Fuller, Samuelson and Blessum voting in favor and Jantzer, Olson and Pitner dissenting.

Agreement sets Aug. 23 as manager’s last day

Minot City Manager Harold Stewart’s last day with the City of Minot will be Aug. 23 under a proposal approved by the Minot City Council Aug. 4 to mutually terminate his contract early.

At the previous council meeting, Stewart gave 60 days notice of his planned departure on Sept. 19 to take a city manager position in Pasco, Washington. Moving up Stewart’s departure saves the city $15,500 in salary, but other additional benefit costs would be incurred, leaving a total savings of $9,286.

The agreement between Stewart and the city allows early termination of a five-year contract, signed in December 2023. It provides that the city will pay an additional settlement of $10,000 along with accrued paid time off of $22,944.

The agreement also calls for Assistant City Manager Tom Joyce to immediately begin transitioning into the city manager position to serve as interim until a permanent replacement can be found.

Council member Lisa Olson raised an objection to the negotiation of the agreement by council member Mike Blessum and acting mayor Mark Jantzer rather than coming before the council first. However, the council voted 6-0 to accept the agreement.

Stewart has served as Minot’s city manager since December 2020. He was presented with a photo collage in appreciation of his service.

The search for a replacement will be conducted internally through the Human Resources Department.