KAXE contacted each candidate at least twice to invite them to participate in our Election Guide, using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office.
Candidate responses have not been edited and are published exactly as submitted, including typos and formatting.
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KAXE's Election Guide includes contested races in communities with at least 100 people. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else will be on the ballot in November.
About this race
The city council is responsible for governing the city, including overseeing administrators, approving a budget and passing city ordinances. Councilors do not have any individual authority and can only exercise power as part of the council.
The current councilors whose seats are up for election this year are Vern Lewis and Jim Traylor. Lewis is not running for reelection. Traylor is.
The winners of the election will begin their four-year terms in January.
The mayor has no more voting power than a city councilor. Additional duties include presiding over city council meetings and acting as the ceremonial head of the city, often representing the city before the Legislature and in other official capacities.
The current mayor is Diane L. Cash, who is running for reelection.
The winner of the election will begin their two-year term in January.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
Incumbent
Age on Election Day: 70
Employment: Retired - Currently the elected Mayor of Crosby
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Worked 45+ years as Accountant, Construction Finance Manager, Property Manager
Why are you running?
To keep the City of Crosby a wonderful place for my family, employers and residents
Why should voters elect you?
I have served on the council for almost 8 years - completing many projects and currently working on a new 10 year capital improvement plan and a major park planning design. I want to finish this planning with the City Council and work together to fund it - look for community input meetings starting soon.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
I serve on these committees - Finance, Personnel, Public Works. As Mayor, I sign documents that are very important to all taxpayers and I research before I sign and I do my best to listen to fellow council members and taxpayers.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Ben Davis - House Representative for our city. He works hard for our city and works with integrity.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
Funding community assets - Library, Park, Hockey/Community Center - where over 70 % of the users are not taxpayers to the City of Crosby. These assets are funded by Crosby Taxpayers and donations and contribute to the overall health and wellness of the entire Cuyuna Lakes Area. Road Repairs. Housing.
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
All are important. The current City Council, myself and City Administrator are working on long term planning for all 3 items.
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
We have limited land available for development and prefer to use it for housing.
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
Careful planning on future road repairs is needed to keep taxes down.
Age on Election Day: 58
Employment: I am unemployed due to surgeries in the past year. I
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I was previously elected in 2011 to the Crosby city council for the 2012-2015 term, and again for the 2016-2019 term. In 2018-2019 I was appointed acting mayor for when the elected mayor was absent. approximately the last 6 months of my term being appointed mayor, because the elected mayor resigned.
Why are you running?
I feel that it is time for a change with new thoughts and direction. Yes, it is very important to keep improving the infrastructure of our city, I would also like to try and figure out a way to improve our tax base, so we don't have to rase our city taxes.
Why should voters elect you?
I would like the residents of Crosby's vote, because I am a person that will do my best to listen to our residents and try to move this city forward into the future. I am not here to make promises that I cannot keep. I was born and raised here. Lived and worked in the area all my life.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
As a mayor my role would be to represent and be a face for the city, appoint comities, listen to department heads suggestions wants and needs, lead city council meetings, voting on city projects and ordinances, casting tie braking votes, listening to resident concerns, answering questions, attending public events, and bringing ideas to the city council.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I really do not have any one public leader that I admire, but I do have the alt-most respect for any person that takes and has the time to hold a public office.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
Taxes, Infrastructure, long term rentals.
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
(TAXES) I would like to not rase taxes if I don't have to. Like I said earlier I will do my best not to rase taxes, but I am not and will not make promises that I cannot keep.
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
I would oppose a data center in this area, because we do not have the property or the recourses to support one. why would we as a city want to ruin a good thing that we have going with the reck area, noise, and possibly polluting our lakes, rivers and streams by using water to cool the data center, let alone the power that they take.
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
I would have to do allot of research to see where our best place is to make cuts if needed. Like I said before (NO PROMISES), but I would do my best to not cut from the police and fire departments
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Age on Election Day: 47
Employment: Senior Business Systems Analyst for National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have served on the Crosby Planning and Zoning Commission since summer 2022. I was elected chair by my fellow commissioners in 2023 and served in that capacity since.
Why are you running?
Since first visiting Crosby in 2018 and moving here in 2021, my wife and I have truly come to love the community. I’d like to use my balanced nature to try to find the best solutions for the communities problems.
Why should voters elect you?
I believe in hearing all sides and finding a solution that can best fit the most individuals. In my career as an analyst I’m often placed in this situation and am very comfortable working with competing interests.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
I expect to face many of the same issues I’ve seen on the Planning and Zoning Commission, while branching out to learn about other areas of the community. I’m particularly interested in public works and parks.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Anthony Bourdain - he was an individual who lived his life the way he wanted, chased his dreams, loved food, travel and adventure like few others. I strongly identify with his intense passion for those things and the dedication to seek it out.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
Affordable housing/empty short term rentals
Child care resources
Jobs
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
During my service on P&Z I oversaw the cities adoption of Crow Wing counties polity to manage short term rentals as we had no better option at the time. I would be willing to look more at this process to help ensure houses don’t sit empty for a year, like the two across the street from my house have.
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
Along with my fellow P&Z commissioners we have already directed the planning and zoning administrator to develop a city ordinance that would ban data centers from the city. I expect we’ll recommend the council approval this organize, pending city attorney approval.
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
I would only support cuts that do not affect local residents. I would much rather find ways to increase our revenue by leveraging our unique position as a tourist city.
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Age on Election Day: 43
Employment: Pearce services of cbre, hvac field supervisor
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Supervisor and lead
Why are you running?
I want to improve Crosby and make it more appealing for families to move here and just tourists
Why should voters elect you?
As a long time twice resident of Crosby i know what it was and what it can be. Im unopened book and not afraid to take advice. I listen to opinions open minded and considerate. I am in it for Crosby not any personal gains.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
General care and guidance for Crosby. Economic growth, tax management
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Ben Davis, his life has been a lesson to live by. Being able to change what he was to what he is now is admirable.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
Land for building, lack of community togetherness, community involvement
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
Land, work with property owners and find investors
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
I would do research on other locations and see the positive and negatives about them
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
I don't believe in cuts, I believe in revising what we have without adding more taxes
Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us.
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