Perry Olson, Justin Hammer and Mike Schmitt say they want to continue working on park projects.

“I just love being involved with the park district. I enjoy the people. The goal of increasing quality of life in Minot is something that I want to try and be a small part of,” Olson said. “I’ve enjoyed my time and would love to keep being involved.”

Olson works in business development at a Minot bank and has been active in various community organizations, including the park board since 2018.

Hammer said he feels there is more to do after coming to the close of his first four-year term.

Perry Olson

“There’s a lot of things that have been started, have been worked on over the last four years that aren’t necessarily 100% across the finish line yet,” he said. “I’ve been a part of that, and I’d like to continue to be a part of that.”

Among those projects is a former Superfund site near Maysa Arena that is proposed for frisbee golf and cross country and mountain biking trails. A cross country facility would create more opportunities to bring events to Minot, which is a role the parks system can play in the community’s economic development, Hammer said.

Hammer earned a degree from University of North Dakota in parks, recreation and leisure studies. A Minot resident since 2002, he has worked as a Realtor.

Schmitt said he wants to see the park district stay on course.

“We do a great job with what we have. I just want to maintain that, striving forward to keep our parks and keep everything going. It’s just quality of life,” Schmitt said. “We need to be forward thinking on the quality of life. I’ve got grandkids in this town. I just want to make sure that they’ve got the quality of life structures there for them.”

Justin Hammer

Schmitt has served on the board since 2018. He worked as a criminal investigator for the U.S. government for 33 years and has been active with the Minot Hockey Boosters, the Maysa board and as a hockey official.

The candidates all point to a June 9 ballot measure that would establish a half percent sales tax for the park district as key to how the next four years will unfold.

If voters approve the measure, Schmitt sees the park board tackling a number of maintenance issues.

“With a half-cent sales tax, we probably would be able to jump on our maintenance a lot quicker and get more things done,” he said.

“That’s going to have a big impact on how the park district moves forward, whether it is approved or not,” Hammer said of the measure. “The election here in June is going to really tell us the path the citizens of Minot are really wanting the park district to go in.”

The park board candidates mention needs with deferred maintenance and repairs to properties acquired from the city some years ago with the merger of parks and recreation. The park board has identified $26.76 million in maintenance needs.

Olson said he expects people will see a lot of park projects in the next four years if voters approve the sales tax measure.

“We’re going to see a lot of projects, a lot of maintenance work get done,a lot of things start to look better, and less property taxes for the citizens of Minot,” he said. “I want to see property taxes reduced, and that’s been a goal of mine.

“The average increase for the park district budget has been lower than the inflationary adjustment. We’ve done a really good job of doing the work for the people at a reasonable price, and we’re going to have to keep doing that if the answer is no,” he said of the sales tax vote. “My goal for the park district, either way, is to always enhance quality of life and make living in Minot a positive thing for people.”

Schmitt said he’s been cognizant of residents’ concerns over property taxes and believes the park board has been doing as much as it can to keep those taxes down. The board increased its tax levy by 0.7% rather than the 3% allowed in state law this past year, he noted. The sales tax measure includes a 40% reduction in property taxes.

Hammer said he hopes over time that sales tax collections will enable the park board to lower property taxes even further. Along with developing the former Superfund site near Maysa and investing in maintenance, his priorities include keeping property taxes down, he said.

“We’ve been doing what we can to hold the line on our budget and hold the line on property taxes,” he said. “That’s always been my top of mind.”

Hammer added the park district is seeing local recreational organizations grow significantly and will need to respond to the demands that brings.

“We need to be able to figure out how we can grow, how we can improve our current facilities but also what facilities our community is missing that we can help with,” Hammer said. The goal is quality of life and making Minot a place that people choose to live, he said.

Early voting in Minot begins next week in the Ward County Administration Building, with polls open at the Minot Municipal Auditorium-Armory and State Fair Center on June 9.