Detroit Lakes 2026 Election Guide

Incumbent

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 71

Employment: Self-Employed Manager of Estates and Trusts

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I am a graduate of Minnesota State University - Moorhead. I served in the Army Guard for six years with an honorable discharge. I have been a member of the Detroit Lakes community for 39 years. I have previously served 2 terms on the Detroit Lakes School Board with two years as Chairman. I have served on the church council and building committees. I have been a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board, and the board chairman. For 12 years I served on the Detroit Lakes Development Authority with 4 years as the chairman. As a former paramedic and owner of ambulance services, I served on the Board of the Minnesota Ambulance Association for 12 years and was the president for 4 years. I am currently the chairman of the Becker County Economic Development Authority. I have been very active in the Detroit Lakes community for over 35 years.

Why are you running?

In the past 10 years, Detroit Lakes has accomplished a great deal with improvements of its infrastructure, its beachfront, its police and fire departments, and many other services in the city. I want to keep that ball rolling and I see the need to address our housing shortage.

Why should voters elect you?

I have the experience and contacts around the region to help us get things done.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

One of the Council members with committees to be assigned by the Mayor.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

The late former DL Mayor Larry Buboltz. He got things done. The DL we have today is because of Larry's effort.

What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?

Housing. State LGA reductions. Cost of expansion.

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

Housing. Personal visits with developers discussing our market and how we can help.

What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?

Scale is the factor. If a proposal is too burdensome on our infrastructure, no. Fits us, yes. We all use online data everyday (just like this form) we have to design a way to fit it on our box.

Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?

Planned projects for facility improvements would need to slow. Perhaps retirements would not be replaced.

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Age on Election Day: 47

Employment: Arvig, Director of Enterprise IT

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

First and foremost, I've been on the City Council as a Ward 1 representative for the last 4 years. I've also been serving on the Detroit Lakes Planning Commission since 2021 and have been the Chair for the past 4 years. I have a degree in Management Information Systems from NDSU and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Mary. I've previously been involved in student government in college and was a volunteer firefighter, first responder, and EMT before moving to Detroit Lakes. I am also retired, after 25 years, from the North Dakota Air National Guard.

Why are you running?

This is one way I can give back to my community. I love living in Detroit Lakes and I truly want to ensure this is someplace my children can live after leaving our home if that's what they choose. That means planning for the future, keeping taxes and other costs as manageable as we can, and ensuring we address streets and utilities. After almost 4 years on the council I understand this better than ever and I want to make sure that the Comprehensive Planning and Capital Improvement Planning that we're doing in the next 2 years includes significant investment in Ward 1, the North Side of Detroit Lakes.

Why should voters elect you?

I'll continue to work hard for our residents. They're my constituents. But, more importantly, they're my neighbors. I work full time and I've still made almost every council meeting, committee meeting, budget meeting, and planning commission meeting for the last 4 years so I can represent their needs. I've advocated, and voted, to keep our tax levies as low as possible while still delivering services and planning for the future. I've taken PTO from work, and time away from my family, to visit our legislators in St. Paul to lobby for the needs for our city. And I'm putting a lot of effort into learning about funding mechanisms and grants that we can use to keep project costs, and assessments, low. If you elect me, I'll continue to put that effort and more in for another 4 years.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

My job is to represent the needs of the residents of Ward 1 on the City Council. This representation ranges from planning and budgeting for street and utility projects to making decisions about the zoning and ordinances of our city, and responsibly managing spending to keep our taxes manageable.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

This is hard for me to answer because I'm not sure there is just one. Leaders who are willing to listen, to talk to people with opposing views, and in a partisan environment "talk across the aisle" have always stood out to me. While there are many examples in history, more recent presidents like Ronald Regan and Bill Clinton demonstrated this during their terms in office and I admire both of them for that willingness to listen and compromise.

What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?

Housing , childcare, and rapidly rising cost of living.

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

The rapidly rising cost of living is the most urgent that needs to be addressed. While I can't directly affect the rising costs, I CAN focus on keeping our tax levy manageable and ensuring we're using all funding and grant sources to offset the costs of projects, especially street and utility projects, for our residents. This is particularly important for Ward 1 with the work that needs to be done on a number of our streets.

What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?

This is an challenging issue with many views on both sides. If a Data Center wanted to come to Detroit Lakes, I would dig in to understand the needs and benefits of the project, the environmental impacts, and the impacts on our infrastructure and costs. There is a growing need for data centers and compute capacity driven by the demand of all us using Internet (Cloud) or AI services. I'm not opposed to data centers, but I do believe they need to be operated responsibly and must be the right decision for our community before moving forward.

Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?

The City of Detroit Lakes is in a very good financial position. This has been accomplished through very thoughtful and effective long-range planning and a lot of consideration about the financial security of the city and the tax impacts on our residents. That said, if I need to cut somewhere I would start by asking our department heads what they can cut to meet a reduced budget. It's a tradeoff as cuts represent fewer services. I would definitely not cut streets and utilities as this is one of the primary responsibilities of a city to it's residents.

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 30

Employment: Detroit Country Club, Superintendent

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

Graduate of Detroit Lakes High School class of 2014, BS from NDSU in 2019, I serve on the City of Detroit Lakes Park Board, Detroit Lakes Area Nordic Ski Club Board, and Detroit Mountain Recreation Area Board.

Why are you running?

I love Detroit Lakes and all of the events and amenities we have for people of all walks of life. I want to keep it an amazing place for young people and families to move to and live.

Why should voters elect you?

I will always come prepared to committee and council meetings and approach them with transparency and thoughtfulness. I have a good grasp on a lot of the “going ons” around town because of my extensive volunteer experience with community organizations. I am incredibly passionate about building community, and because of my connections to local community based organizations, I hope to bridge gaps and make connections that otherwise might not happen.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

On Council, I would be responsible for representing the people of Detroit Lakes in shaping city policy, ordinances, strategic planning, budget, and others.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

The incumbent Alderman from Detroit Lakes Ward 2, Mike Stearns. He is a true public servant and approached the job with great transparency and thoughtfulness. The kind of person that regardless of if you agreed with his position on something, you had to respect his approach and understood where he was coming from. Mike is a good friend and personal mentor, and I’m happy to have his support in the race.

What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?

1. Affordability
2. Community involvement
3. Rising costs to City of Detroit Lakes

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

Affordability is a huge issue and the main hurdle for a lot of people in town. I have personally talked to several young people who have moved to the area for work but could not find affordable housing so they had to live in surrounding towns. The 2024 city of Detroit Lakes housing study recommended 190-220 additional rental units be built in part because of the abnormally low vacancy rate. In addition, 37-42 ownership units are recommended. In order to decrease the pressure on rental unit and home prices, The City of Detroit Lakes needs to do everything we can to strategically build more housing including single family homes, apartment buildings, and senior living.

What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?

The risks associated with data centers far outweigh any benefits locally and I would not be in support of any data centers.

Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?

If cuts had to be made, I would have to advocate for a tighter use of accessory funds like the liquor and utility funds.

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 48

Employment: Project Consultant

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

Much of my experience comes from working with local nonprofits, community events, youth activities, and fundraising efforts. I have managed budgets, reviewed contracts and policies, coordinated hundreds of employees and volunteers, and worked with many different community partners. Those experiences have taught me how to organize complicated projects, manage public and nonprofit funds responsibly, and follow through when people are counting on me.

I am also completing graduate-level coursework in leadership, human resources, organizational policy, research, and risk management. My education has strengthened the practical skills I already use in my community work.

Why are you running?

I am running because I love Detroit Lakes and believe Ward 3 deserves a council member who is present, approachable, and willing to ask questions. Our community is growing, and decisions about housing, childcare, workforce needs, infrastructure, taxes, and development will affect us for years to come.

I want residents to know what is happening at City Hall and feel comfortable sharing their concerns and ideas. I am ready to listen, do the work, and bring a fresh perspective to the council.

Why should voters elect you?

Voters should elect me because I will show up, do my homework, and take the responsibility seriously. I am not afraid to ask hard questions, but I also know that good leadership requires listening, working with others, and finding practical ways to move forward.

I care about the details, especially when decisions involve taxpayer dollars or directly affect residents. I will be accessible and honest, and I will work hard to make sure the people of Ward 3 have a strong voice on the council.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

A City Council member represents the people in their ward and helps make decisions for the entire city. The council approves the city budget, decides how taxpayer dollars are spent, adopts ordinances, and reviews issues involving streets, public safety, parks, housing, development, and other city services.

The job also involves listening to residents, preparing for meetings, asking questions, and working with city staff and other council members. Most importantly, a council member should be accessible, explain decisions clearly, and make sure residents have a voice in what happens in their community.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

One public leader I admire is Eleanor Roosevelt. She used her position to advocate for people whose concerns were often overlooked and was willing to speak up even when doing so was difficult. I admire her independence, compassion, and belief that public service should improve people’s everyday lives. Her example reminds me that leadership is about listening, showing up, and using your voice responsibly.

What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?

The three biggest issues I see are housing, childcare and workforce needs, and managing growth responsibly.

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

Housing is the most important issue to me because it affects nearly every part of our community. When people cannot find housing they can afford, local businesses struggle to hire employees, young families have difficulty staying here, and seniors may not have suitable options as their needs change.

What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?

I would not automatically support or oppose a data center without knowing the full impact on Detroit Lakes.

Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?

Any reductions should be based on clear priorities, accurate information, and an open discussion with the community. I would look for opportunities to share services or equipment. Before proposing cuts, I would begin by reviewing administrative expenses. I would also consider delaying lower-priority capital projects and filling vacant positions only when they are necessary.

Incumbent

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.