Endorsements
Teamsters Local 638
Campaign Phone Number
7013673513
My first priority is balancing the 2027 budget with no more than a 1% increase while protecting core services, rebuilding reserves, and ensuring accountability. Second, I’ll create an affordable housing task force focused on providing recommendations to help reduce costs for renters and home owners. Third, I’ll strengthen public safety by focusing on serious crime while expanding proven prevention strategies and increased community engagement throughout neighborhoods.
Our biggest challenge is staying affordable and livable as we grow. Growth is a good problem to have, but only if we manage it in a way that works for everyone. Especially housing, public safety, and core city services. As mayor, I’ll expand housing supply by modernizing zoning, focusing on smart growth that balances infill with sprawl, streamlining permitting, and partnering to deliver workforce housing, while maintaining a disciplined, accountable budget to protect services and opportunity.
Rent keeps rising, and renters say they’re not seeing added value. As a Realtor, I support policies that expand supply and lower costs for renters and homeowners to ensure more people can afford to call Fargo home. My Affordable Housing Task Force comprised of renters, landlords, property managers, builders, developers, nonprofits, and city agencies will help identify and deliver Fargo-specific solutions. We have brilliant affordable housing leaders in our community already that we can tap into.
As a legislative leader in North Dakota, I’ve been at the table to develop our state's $20 billion biennial budget. I've prioritized the issues that matter most to our communities, during both times of record surpluses and deficits. That means protecting core services, making tough choices, and ensuring taxpayer dollars deliver results. I bring a disciplined, transparent approach focused on long-term stability, prioritizing the needs of our community and real outcomes for Fargo residents.
I support targeted, accountable tax incentives that deliver the housing and development Fargo needs. Incentives should prioritize affordable and attainable workforce housing, infill, and projects aligned with our growth goals. The renter or homeowner need to receive just as much of a benefit as the developer. Every approved tax incentive must include clear benchmarks, transparency, and claw backs if outcomes aren’t met, ensuring taxpayers see real return on investment.
I believe we should use assessments more strategically, as an incentive to support the housing and development Fargo needs, while ensuring fairness and transparency for residents. At the same time, we need to plan ahead for the wave of street replacements coming from decades of growth. That means better long-term capital planning, smoothing costs over time, and exploring alternative funding tools so we’re not putting the full burden on property owners all at once.
Endorsements
Local 642 Fargo Firefighters
Campaign Phone Number
701-730-2563
My priorities are continued fiscal responsibility, public safety, and transparency. As Fargo works within a balanced budget every year, it's on us to communicate the options, decisions and impacts every step of the way. How everyone sees public safety is central to every elected official and our daily lives & we need to ensure community policing involves the community, and facts are transparent. Central to all is how the city includes you - and we need to have more intentional interaction.
As a growing city, it is how we will continue to fund the services you expect, given real revenue constraints and a struggling economy right now. We must continue to be focused on innovation and efficiencies, and maximize every revenue dollar we collect to be a city that everyone can be proud to live in and call home .
Absolutely - I support continued expansion of Homestead Tax Credit, new housing tax abatement, property tax relief, local remodeling refinancing programs, and working with our state and federal partners on first time home owner incentives and programs.
In addition to 40+ years in private industries working on billion dollar budgets, I've had four years of intense learning and knowledge of the City's budgeting process. Understanding the specific issues, I would implement zero-based budgeting, and ask the staff Cabinet to collectively find innovation and efficiencies, including developing sustainable 5-year capital and personnel strategies.
The City, County and Schools, are at a crossroads given the Growth Plan and Land Development Code finalizations, together with the Diversion completion. All incentives need to be aligned to those goals and realities to make sure future growth is the right growth.
The City of Fargo has revised how citizens pay for special assessments, implementing caps, and assuming more of the burden together with state and federal funding. Fargo residents now pay 20% of infrastructure projects on average, a percentage that has been reversed from prior 70-80% averages. With that progress, the assessment process is now tenable.
Campaign Phone Number
7013884659
1. Restore our city of Fargo credit rating. Our downgrade by Moody’s is alarming! It increases the interest rate we pay and signals our poor financial management.
Fortunately we are making the city budget right now and can reduce spending immediately.
2. Restore Law and Order. We have had leadership that has been soft on crime. Our city has suffered the consequences. When criminals commit crimes and there are no consequences, crime will continue to increase.
Years of explosive growth in nonessential services has caused this debt. I will bring fiscal discipline back to our city. We as taxpayers are paying for benefits and services that our neighbor communities should be compensating us for. I do not support extending the 1% sales tax. We currently have over 10 billion in excess collected taxes in the Legacy fund that should be used for infrastructure. Fortunately we are creating the city budget right now and can reduce spending immediately.
Yes. I would reduce the property tax mill that the city controls and reduce the utility fee that the city charges. These reductions would help homeowners immediately. Our current tax and spend policies are forcing our homeowners on fixed incomes out of their homes! By reducing taxes and fees we will help make housing more affordable. The solution to make housing more affordable is not more government policies and programs but less.
I have owned and operated a small business my entire career. I have served on the city commission for 16 years and continue to serve on multiple local, state and international boards, developing and overseeing budgets. We must make hard decisions to reduce spending. We have some excellent leaders in our city departments, we should work together to set a fiscally conservative budget number and live within that budget.
We need to reform our incentive system. These programs are very powerful tools that can help our economy grow and they have an excellent track record of performance. We must target what we want to accomplish as a City. If we decide to eliminate these programs we will forfeit future growth to our competitors. If we want to attract large businesses or high wage jobs we have to compete. If these programs are eliminated our property taxes will increase.
Our current system is one of the main reasons for our credit downgrade. We are currently funding infrastructure for new developments with our tax dollars. Essentially we are the bank for developers. We are risking our taxpayer money and this is unacceptable. The cost should be included in the cost of the property, which is how 99% of the country does it! We need to work with our developers and builders to gradually change our system without damaging our economy.
Campaign Phone Number
7017079157
My top priorities are public safety, affordable housing, and responsible leadership. Every resident deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, and that requires strong support for public safety and community partnerships. At the same time, housing must remain within reach for working families, seniors, and young people starting out. Finally, leadership must be responsive and accountable, listening to residents, managing resources wisely, and making decisions that reflect the needs of the city.
The biggest challenge facing Fargo is managing growth in a way that remains affordable and sustainable. As our city grows, housing costs, infrastructure demands, and financial pressures are increasing. To address this, we need thoughtful planning, responsible budgeting, and strong partnerships with businesses, community organizations, and residents. My approach is to listen first, identify what is working and what is not, and then act with clear priorities.
Yes. I support policies that increase housing supply, encourage responsible development, and create a range of housing options for different needs. This includes reviewing zoning, improving permitting efficiency, and working in partnership with developers and community organizations. I also support programs that help families move into stable housing and remain there. The goal is simple: make it easier to build and easier for people to find a place they can afford to call home.
My experience comes from managing organizations, working with diverse groups, and making practical decisions that affect real people. My background in operations management has given me an understanding of efficiency, accountability, and long-term planning. As a leader, I focus on asking the right questions, bringing the right people together, and ensuring resources are used wisely. Budgeting is about priorities, and my priority will always be making sure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.
I support the thoughtful use of tax incentives when they are transparent, targeted, and provide clear benefits to the community. Incentives can help encourage development and expand housing opportunities, but they must be reviewed regularly to ensure they are working as intended. The goal should always be balance, supporting growth and investment while protecting taxpayers and maintaining fairness for existing residents and businesses.
Special assessments have helped fund important infrastructure, but they can place a heavy burden on homeowners and developers. I believe we should review the current process to ensure it is fair, predictable, and sustainable. We should explore a more balanced approach that combines different funding tools so that no single group carries too much of the cost. The goal is to support growth and infrastructure while keeping Fargo affordable for the people who live here.
Endorsements
Senator Kevin Cramer, Fargo Area Conservatives
Public safety
Focus on core city services
Stop the spending and reduce the city debt
Public safety. Citizens need to be and feel safe.
What are you referring to as affordable housing? Housing credits or homes being affordable? Two different issues. To have affordable home prices we need to eliminate specials.
I am a business development manager. The spending in the city of Fargo needs to stop. 1.3B in debt is outrageous.
No tax incentives.
No special assessments.
